Different Strokes
by LuckyMiltank
Summary: Ever wondered what would happen if you stepped out of the norm? Meet Bic, an Octoling who wishes to learn more than what was fed to her by the Octarian camps and discovers way more than what she expected.
1. Ch1 - A whole new world

**ALL PRIVATES FOR LAUNCH SITE 8, PREPARE FOR LAUNCH.**

Bic could hardly contain her excitement - Today was her first day of field work, which meant no more stuffy classrooms, no more boring simulations, fresh air, action...It all sounded too good to be true! She exitedly glanced to her left: nothing but dull and serious faces that seemed to be photocopied down the lineup. She puffed her cheek out a bit at this; how could they not be excited? She then took a gander to her right - the exact same, disappointing thing. With a sigh, she stroked her weapon lovingly and thought of the questions that have been on her mind for the last week now - Was this her purpose? What exactly was she fighting for? And above all, was she ready?

The loud creaking sound of the docking hatch opening echoed throughout the dock, followed by a bright light that was new to her - It was time.

A loud voice projected itself through the dock's intercom, " _Just remember, rookies, this is_ _ **not**_ _a drill! If you are splattered, there is_ _ **NO**_ _coming back! You will live, serve and_ _ **die**_ _for Lord Octavio!_ "

With a collective cheer, one by one the Octolings spread across the Kelp Dome with Bic being the very last to leave. Because of this, she was given the task to be the last guard standing for the zapfish. Once she stepped out of the shaded dock, she lifted he goggles in pure awe.

Things were so much different from the simulations here outside the overly sheltered base; The clear blue sky, the lush greenery all around, even the actual warmth from the sun. It was all Bic's first time experiencing it all. She closed her eyes and rubbed her arms, blissfully soaking up its welcoming rays before opening her eyes to take in all the vivid colors of the plant life in the dome. With a smile, she bent down to play with the grass beneath her boots - so soft and plush...and the flowers! So beautiful and fragile, she couldn't resist picking one and putting it in her tentacles. A butterfly flew past her vision and she could swear she'd been splattered and went to heaven. A silent 'wow' escaped her lips as she continued to take everything in.

It wouldn't last too long, however, as a sharp snapping sound brought her back to earth. She hurriedly put her goggles back in place and hid behind a corner, listening closely...Footsteps, too spaced out and heavy to be octarian.

" _Inkling..._ " She whispered, keeping her weapon drawn closely to her chest. The purple-clad inkling carelessly passed her without seeing her, which gave her the chance to spring a surprise attack. "Big mistake! Freeze, scum!", she screamed, darting behind him. He froze, back to her and rose his hands into the air along with his weapon at the sound of her cocking her gun, ready to fire. Without command, he slowly turned around; Bic's eyes widened behind her goggles - he didn't look anything like the simulator's inklings! His face was more defined, less cartoony looking, more handsome features with eyes that actually had emotion...She involuntarily lowered her weapon, keeping her eyes on him, analyzing him.

His panicked face slowly turned into a confused one - why didn't she splatter him on spot like the rest tried to? A bit of silence between them lasted what seemed like an eternity before Bic dropped her gun to her side and let out the few hushed words, "Get outta here...".

The male rose an eyebrow for only a split moment before slowly backing away, gradually breaking into a sprint before snagging the zapfish and running off. Bic watched as he absconded, disappearing off the horizon. His every movement broken down to a science behind her calculating goggles...he was intruiging, this purple one. With a sigh, she picked up her weapon, dusting it off as a voice approached her from behind, making her jump.

"You didn't get splattered? Nice job, rookie!"

"B-but he got away...", Bic said, now realizing that she'd let him escape.

"There will be other times to lay your life on the line for our Lord, rookie. Now c'mon, let's go get some grub. You deserve it, since most rookies don't make it after their first mission or two. Keep it up and you might get some kelp like mine!" The superior octoling roughly patted Bic on the back with a laugh, walking in front of her.

With a sigh and unseen eyeroll, Bic followed her back into the hidden dock. As they headed down what seemed like an endless hallway, the higher ranked octoling just rambled on for what seemed like Bic to be forever.

"You know, when I was a rookie, I was real curious, just like you, kid. But it wore off real quick like when I was hurled into battle! So, there I was, in the middle of two a' them Inklings, one pink, one green..."

Bic cursed under her breath and dipped her hands into her pockets, wishing for this talk to be over as they finally arrived at the mess hall. "- and THAT'S how I got my kelp! So you just keep up the good-"

"H-hey! We're here, whaddya know? Commander, if you don't mind, I'm gonna grab some grub, I'm starving!"

"- _oh_. Yeah, sounds good! I'll go report your bravery and endurance to the higher ups, who knows, maybe you'll be sittin' at the table with me and I can tell ya sommore stories!"

Bic groaned and facepalmed in frustration and annoyance once she was out of eyesight. She went through the buffet-style line, picking out her favorites before sneaking away to the living quarters. Normally, the Octos weren't supposed to eat in their dorms- Something about pest control or some squit like that. At that thought Bic rolled her eyes as she unlocked her door and walked in, placing her tray on the nightstand. She turned on her lamp before sitting on her bed, taking off her boots. Her room, like everyone else's, was very small and compact, with just enough room for a twin size bed and small bedside table. She always thought this minamalist space was great for relaxing, so the lack of anything else didn't bother her.

She took a bite of Octo pie and reclined onto her pillow, staring at the ceiling. Today's events were swimming in her mind too much for her to actually eat right about now; The sights, the sounds, the fresh air, the wide open space...and that boy. A small smile crept onto her face as she reached over and turned off the lamp.

Visions of his shiny purple ink, tanned dark skin, heck, even the glasses on his face - it all somehow made her uneasy, but in the most pleasant way. _Was that even possible_? Bic shrugged that thought off before turning onto her side and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Aloha everyone! I'm trying to get back into the story writing scene as you can see, and I'm trying my hand at a splatoon fanfiction. Feedback is always appreciated, and if you have any suggestions, they'll always be considered! Thank you for taking the time to read my work!


	2. Ch2- A little too close

Bic slowly blinked awake, stretching before glancing at her alarm clock; It was a whole hour before her alarm was set to go off. She smiled at this personal victory and gathered her uniform as she left for the showers. It was a walk down the long hall, lots of doors that would confuse the unknowing eye, but she knew the base's ins and and outs like the back of her hand. As she reached an intersection, she hung a left, then counted the doors as she passed them. _One, two, three_..aha! Bic opened the door to a decent sized shower room. A hot shower was just the perfect start to any day...

* * *

Once again, Bic checked her team mates, hoping for some change. To the left, copy and pasted faces; To the right, again, the same. Bic mentally shook her head, wishing she had more exciting teammates, and held her gun close to her chest. She was earlier than usual today, which placed her upfront to be one of the first to leave the dock. As the doors opened and a familiar light shone onto the octoling squad, a large, toothy grin made its way onto Bic's face. The Octolings made a collective battle cry before storming the area in formation. Today's location - _Blackbelly Skate Park_.

Being at the front would be kind of boring and a great deal scary for a normal octoling, but for Bic, it was a great chance to observe more of the nature she loved so much at the Kelp Dome! Her heart was all a flutter at the thought of seeing more exotic flowers, more cute butterflies and maybe even some birds! Her palpitations quieted down and the smile on her face slowly dissipated into an unsatisfied frown when she realized there was more asphalt than anything else - this being a skate park, naturally. She huffed, blowing a tentacle out of her face.

From her post at the front of the park, she could hear footsteps on the concrete - someone approaching haphazardly. She quietly turned the safety off on her gun and, ever so quietly, crept up to her target. She huffed once again when she noticed it was the same inkling from before. Admittedly, she was happy she got to see him again, but at the same time she wished she wouldn't have. Seeing him again means he has a chance to splatter her, or for her to splatter him, which was definitely something she didn't want to do. Maybe they could be friends? Of course not, inklings and octolings could never be anything more than sworn enemies! ... _Right_? That's what was pounded into her head for years, so it had to be for her own good... _Right_?

No matter what the answer, he was getting away, and fast. Bic quickly threw a splat bomb right in front of him, which shortly exploded and caught his attention. "You're pretty reckless, making so much noise..." She said in her most menacing voice possible. Octolings are supposed to be mean and scary, but Bic didn't too much like being stern and abrasive. She didn't like the thought of being splattered, either.

The male inkling spun around on his heel and pointed his gun at Bic, straight between the eyes. His furrowed gaze turned into a surprised one, his eyes widening as they focused on her. " **Y-YOU**! You're the one that-!"

" _Shhh_!", Bic looked around, checking her goggles for heat signatures before continuing in a desperate whisper, "Do you _want_ us to be caught?!".

The purple clad male rose an eyebrow at her question as he slowly lowered his splattershot, finger still carefully pressed on the trigger. "Who...who ARE you, and why didn't you splatter me when you had the chance..?" he questioned quietly.

Bic paused, staring at him - keeping mental notes of his tensed posture, taking in his high respiration rate...she could tell he wasn't going to trust her too much unless she showed him she wasn't a threat...yet. She slowly holstered her gun, making no sudden movements as she removed her headgear and softly spoke. "I'm Private 81C of squadron 411...But please, call me Bic. And you are...?"

He stared at her, now at a loss for words; This was the first time he'd spoken to an octoling, let alone seen one's face - and what a mesmerizing one she had to him. His eyes were now fixated on hers, a dark pink color, seeming so calm and sincere through her gentle, half lidded gaze. "I-I'm...Agent 3..."

Bic inwardly giggled when his voice trailed, still trying to keep her 'scary' demeanor. She slowly walked toward him, hands visible as not to cause him any alarm. Agent 3 didn't seem to mind - he was still lost in her eyes, his finger now weakly pressing on the trigger of his gun, still. She got closer and closer, until they were a breath's length away from each other. Agent 3 gulped; This was nuts! Here was the one thing that posed a MAJOR threat to him, inches away from him and NOT trying to kill him? What was she planning? It had to be a trick. It has to be some kind of ploy to-

His train of thought was interrupted by a hand touching his pulled back tentacles. He flinched, expecting force, but unwound himself at her gentle strokes. " _I've never felt an inkling before..._ " She whispered, hand now curiously trailing south. She caressed his ears tenderly, the tips of her fingers only touching enough to get smoothness of his skin on them. " _So...soft..._ ", came another whisper.

Agent 3 was shaking now, unsure of what to do as her fingers wanders to his now reddened cheeks, then further down to his lips. A chill ran down his spine as he audibly protested when she started getting even closer to him; he seemed physically paralyzed with shock to reject her sudden invasion of his personal space. Their lips ghosted over each other and Agent 3 was visibly nervous. Was she really gonna kiss him?! He just met this crazy chick, and here he was about to get a smooch? The boys back home will NEVER believe-

Bic stopped, now more suddenly alert than ever. She gave him a panicked look before mouthing a quick ' _I'm sorry_ '. Before he could pose a question, she snapped her goggles back on and pushed him away before skillfully back flipping behind a nearby wall.

Agent 3 quickly sat up, reaching out to the sound of her retreating, hurried footsteps. "W-wait! Bic, come ba-"

"Aha! Caught you inkling **SCUM**!" Another, not so friendly octoling ran up, opening rapid fire.

"SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!"

* * *

Later that night, Bic could hear talk from the higher ranked Octolings that an inkling boy got away with yet another zapfish from Octo Valley. She breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly gasped as she caught herself. Sure, she was happy he was able to get away alive and they weren't caught, but..

' _I shouldn't be happy about him getting away! I shouldn't even care about him period! Urgh..._ '

She groggily snuck back to her dorm, not wanting to hear anything from the superiors. When she got in, she quickly locked the door behind her before resting her back against it and sliding down to the floor tiredly. Bic rested her hands atop her head, massaging her tentacles in deep thought.

She was meant to serve to Lord Octavio in all his glory! ... _Right_? And the inklings! All of them - they were monsters who just wanted to hoard all zapfish to themselves! ... _Right_?

...No, that's what Bic was force fed and trained to believe. Agent 3 wasn't a monster...not that she'd seen. He was nice to her. But then again, they'd only met twice...B-But he didn't splatter her!  Twice!

Bic's thoughts made her groan and run her hand over her face in frustration. She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest; This was gonna need research, and lots of it...

* * *

 **A/N** : Not sure what happened with the coding and stuff on this one, but boy was this a long chapter. xnx; I ended up fixing the stuff at the last second, so if there are any errors, please excuse them and make me aware to them! Anywho, please feel free to give me any feedback, as it helps me to write better chapters in the future! Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and stay tuned to find out more about Bic and Agent 3!


	3. Ch3 - Thinking of her

(Hey guys! Milly here, and I just wanted to take the time to explain something. Because I am now a part of a shared universe project, Agent 3's number has been changed to Agent 6 for the sake of continuity! Hopefully this doesn't bother anyone. I hope not! With that being said, please enjoy the new chapter!)

* * *

Agent 6 rose from his sleeping position, rubbing his eyes and giving a loud yawn. First, he glanced out his window; Yet again he beat the sun to rise. He was a bit annoyed at that thought but turned the opposite direction to leave his bed. Groggily, he walked through his small, empty apartment before going into the bathroom, closing the door behind him for no reason. His head lifted to look at himself in the large mirror before tracing a pattern along his face and recollecting what occurred just a week ago.

 _"So soft..."_

He froze, a blush immediately gracing his features. To think, the first time a girl touched him...and it had to be _her._ When he thought about it, she wasn't bad...She could have splattered him countless times over, but she didn't. She didn't even seem like she wanted to fight him at all... But why? He groaned, not being able to think of any reason other than she was curious. She said she'd never felt an Inkling before..did that mean it was her first time seeing one, too? She was so close...they almost-

"Gaaaaah!" He screamed in frustration, running his hands through his tentacles frantically. He was so close to having his first kiss it was driving him nuts. He always thought it was going to be something awesome, something magical! So for an **Octoling** to almost have been his first...it gave him the chills...among something else.

"Great," He muttered, "Not _you_ again..." With an agitated groan, he stepped over to the shower, turning on the cold water.

* * *

"Alright young'in. Here's where ye need to be headin' off to now.", Cap'n Cuttlefish said, pointing at a point on a map. He looked at Agent 6, who seemed a bit out of it. "Er...Laddie? Ye got crabby cakes in yer ears or somethin'? Earth to Agent 6!"

"Hunh? A-ah, s-sorry, Cap'n."  
"Ye be awfully distracted a lot as of late, laddie. Ye be sick?"  
"N-no...Just thinking about something is all."  
"I bet me medals it's a lass."  
"W-what?! NO. It's just- Gah, I'm goin'!"

And with that, Agent 6 made a mad dash to the kettle marked on the map. Cap'n Cuttlefish was left at the base, smiling to himself. He stroked his beard knowingly. 'It definitely be a lass...about time the lad found a youngin' to call his own. Maybe she'd join the squad...' With that thought happily placed in his mind, he went back into his shack, hoping he still had some crabby cakes left to enjoy.

* * *

Agent 6 materialized out of ink to observe the area around him. "Oookay...some kinda weird circus...?" He took a few steps forward and got shot at, moving back and dodging the shots. "Shoulda known this wasn't gonna be the fun kinda circus..." He looked ahead, there were Octos standing on moving platforms, watching and waiting. With a smirk, he shot a trail of ink, sneaking up on the first one and splattering it with ease. As he stood, the platforms moved- Something he'd seen before, but wasn't too fond of. He shook off his oncoming fear of heights and continued, being careful not to be on the spreaders for too long. Two more went down before he super jumped to the next area.

Four octocopters; easy enemies, but still he didn't want to take any chances. He broke the box closest to him and got out some armor before continuing. They all went down easily as he moved along, splattering another Octo shooter lurking at the top and moving to the next area. 'Man, this is easy! Almost too easy...' He thought as he landed. Another Octo went down just before he dropped down. Nothing but propeller...He gulped, trying his hardest not to think about even attempting to look down. He shot a bit of ink onto an oncoming propeller and jumped on it, staying hidden in his ink. As it moved, he couldn't help but to look over the edge and get a bit squeamish. He clenched his eyes shut, jumping to the next area. More propellers...

Agent 6 grunted, shooting the two Octoshooters there and grabbing the key before riding the death blades over to the next small area and swimming up the wall to unlock the safe, uncovering the next super jump spot. The zap fish was now in his sights...all he had to do was cross this large area to get to it. 'Easy enough, there's probably gonna be more Octoshooters down there. Pffft, no problem.', He thought as he dropped down. Just as he did, his headset went off with Cap'n's voice in his ears.

"Watch yer back, laddie! There be Octolings here!"

"Octolings?!" He said before getting shot rapidly in the back by one. His armor broke, falling to his feet as he hustled to a pool of his ink to hide. She ran about, covering the the area in dark purple ink as he gathered his nerves to fight her. He sprang up, shooting towards the Octoling as she threw a bomb behind him. It exploded just as he jumped out of the way and shot her in the chest, splattering her. Just as she exploded, he could spot another one in the distance. He couldn't see quite well, but it seemed to be...waving at him? "B-Bic..? Hey! I want to talk to you!" He yelled happily, running towards her. What he didn't see, however, was the kelp on the Octoling's head; That...wasn't Bic! He screeched to a halt on the asphalt, giving himself just enough time to get hit with a barrage of gunshots from the Octo. He quickly scrambled to grab something, backing up a few feet into a safe. The Octoling evilly walked up to him, gun ready to fire an unholy mess of ink into him. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, a series of quick beeps could be heard as she looked down just in time to be splattered by a splat bomb he'd cleverly lain just a few moments before, leaving nothing but a glowing key.

He sighed, a bit upset that he let his guard down so easily before nabbing the key and using it to ride the hidden ink rail to the Zapfish. After he grabbed it, he headed back to Cap'n, thoughts still in the clouds.

* * *

"Aye, laddie. A fine job ye did. I thought for sure ye'd be a goner.", Cap'n said, taking the zapfish and storing it properly. A faint humming sound from Agent 6 was heard as he kept talking. "So, the next mission be a tough one, being tumblin' platforms and whatnot. I figure you and yer lassie friend could team up 'n maybe she be helpin' ye with yer fear of heights?"

Agent 6 sighed in annoyance, getting up and walking out of the shack. "She's...not my girlfriend. And she can't help me." As he walked out, he looked to the ground and mumbled inaudibly. _"Unfortunately, she's part of the problem..."_

"What wazzat, laddie?" Cap'n Cuttlefish called.  
"N-nothing! I'll see you tomorrow, Cap'n!", he assured before hopping into the kettle back to inkopolis.

* * *

Agent 6 returned to his apartment, still in deep thought. As he opened the door, he took off his shoes and went to the kitchen, mindlessly looking for himself some dinner. He could only think about what he was doing with himself as he stared into the fridge- After all, he'd almost gotten killed today, and for what? A kiss? Some girl? He shook his head, deciding he wasn't even hungry before slamming it shut and heading for bed.

He had to get this off his chest. Or it was going to get him killed, he just knew it.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter, as it was written a bit off the record. Someone said I should try to ink-corporate my Agent's point of view into the story, so I took this chance to do it and give you a bit of a look into how he's feeling on the whole thing! I may or may not do the rest of the chapters split up into both his and Bic's point of view...or I may not. What do you think? Please give back the feed, and thank you for taking the time to read my story!


	4. Ch4 - A guardian Angel

**(A/N:** Aloha, everyone! Sorry for this chapter being uploaded a day later than it should have, I was terribly busy and also tired yesterday and it totes slipped my mind. But here it is, none the less! And as a special gift, I merged this chapter and the next one together, so it's like getting two chapters in one day! Enjoy! **)**

* * *

Months have passed since that fateful encounter and Bic had been studying her little Inkling friend closely from the shadows ever since. The way he moves, the way he thinks, his sense of humor in the worst of situations, just...him. He was very intricate and fascinating to Bic, as was the fact of him being something new and never experienced in her eyes. He wasn't without his imperfections, however, as he's almost gotten himself killed a multiple amount of times and would have been in some **serious** trouble if not for her helping hand.

First, there was the incident with the Octostrikers...

* * *

 _Agent 6 kept his hero shot welded to his chest, hiding behind a wall. He swallowed hard, trying to steady his breathing - Good thing this area had a roof - like tarp overhead to prevent him from being seen. He closed his eyes tightly, wanting_ _ **so**_ _hard not to be here right now, before sprinting out into the open. He stealthily rolled past a shot from an Octosniper before splattering it, then came to wall. Naturally, he began to spray a barrage of ink up the wall to move on, but with it being pretty tall, it was taking some time and the Squee-G's were NOT helping. He kept looking up with every few precious seconds he used up trying to get a good line to swim up, praying to Cod he didn't draw any attention to himself._

 _"C'mon, c'mon!", he whispered desperately; His ink wasn't reaching high enough from where he was standing, and sure enough, after taking a glance at the sky, he'd been spotted by the Octostriker hanging out above. As quick as he could mutter a foul word, an inkstrike found its way behind him, cornering him against the wall. He squeezed his eyes shut again, this time clenching his teeth, knowing he was going to die. Suddenly, he felt himself being lifted, and before his eyes had time to fully open, he was flung over the wall, just out of reach of the Octo's attack._

 _Agent 6 placed his hand over his heart, grabbing the fabric tight enough to feel his rapid heartbeat in his fingers. In the midst of quick, short breaths, only one word kept surfing through his mind as he stood, trying to find more cover to recollect himself:_

 _'How...?'_

* * *

Bic smiled, rubbing her upper arms after that thought. He wasn't exactly light, and exerting herself in that short burst of energy at once was something she wasn't used to, and kind of made her muscles sore. Her fingers trailed downwards, to a decent sized scab of dried ink on her lower arm. Instantly, it took her back to the time she'd yet again saved his bacon; This time from almost falling to his death.

* * *

 ** _"_** _Cod, I freaking HATE these things..."_

 _Agent 6 tried his hardest not to look down as he rode from one propeller to the other. The mobile, rotating platforms gave him a REALLY bad case of vertigo and nausea. He swallowed the bile in his throat, trying desperately not to lose his lunch. As he jumped onto a non-moving (thankfully) platform, he looked to his left and right - Octos._

 _His usual curse word crossed his lips before whipping out the inkzooka he'd been saving for just an occasion such as this. He grimaced at the feel of the special weapon, as he wasn't quite good with using it; He was okay with that, as he hated the thing a great deal. Regardless, he let out a loud battle cry as he emerged from his ink and opened fire. The inkzooka is a powerful and heavy weapon, as we all know, but in the midst of his 'in-the-moment' spur of actions, he'd forgotten one very important detail - the recoil, and he had_ _**no**_ _breathing room to work with._

 _He pulled the trigger - two splattered.  
Again - One more splattered.  
He turned on his heel - one more left - But why was it...smiling? He fired one more shot before losing his balance and slipping off the narrow platform._

 _Quickly, he grabbed the ledge with one hand, letting the inkzooka fall into the mass of clouds below. His gaze shot downward - he wished he hadn't - to see where it landed...nothing. Agent 6 quietly gulped, getting the nauseating feeling returning to his stomach before returning his focus back to the ledge. He tried to get his other hand up there for better leverage; No luck. He then tried to swing himself to get back up; No dice. After a few vain attempts, he could faintly hear the sound of something falling to the ground way below and shattering upon impact - His inkzooka, no doubt. Given the amount of time it took to hit the ground, he let out a whimper, now coming to the realization that his grip was slipping all too easily...He was next._

 ** _Four fingers._**  
 _Agent 6 tried to think of something, anything that could help._  
 ** _Three fingers._**  
 _Wait, Cap'n Cuttlefish would know what to do! ...but he couldn't call him in time, knowing fully that Cap'n takes a while to answer his phone._  
 ** _Two fingers._**  
 _Maybe dying won't be so bad. Squids don't have bones, so it won't hurt, right? After all, you kind of die in turf wars before re-spawning...it'll just be like that, but forever. Not so bad...Right?_  
 ** _One finger._**  
 _'This is it...I'm gonna die a virgin...'_

 _Agent 6 shut his eyes calmly as his last finger slipped, awaiting death's cold embrace. After a bit of feeling that he was falling, death's embrace was strangely warm and...soft?_

 _He opened his eyes to see a hand, holding onto his for dear life. The sun made it hard to see his savior's face, but they silently pulled him up, only giving a few quiet grunts. As he wiped his eyes to focus his vision back to normal and tried to calm his anxiety, a blurry figure absconded rather quickly, hopping over a nearby ledge._

 _"W-wait! Bic, is that you?!", he held his hand out helplessly. Getting no response, he let his hand come back to a rest at his side as he stared at the ledge._

 _"...Thank you..."_

* * *

Bic remembered that sliding onto that dry, hot platform had torn her skin, but she didn't care. The thought of knowing she saved a life instead of ending one...it went against everything she was taught here at the Octoling base camp, and yet, it felt amazing! The rush it gave her, a sense of urgency and being needed...it was all very elating, and that was a feeling she'd never felt before! Sure enough, with each rescue, things got crazier and more drastic, and she could never reveal herself to him, for she knew what would happen if he got too comfortable around her...She sighed, now remembering the reason she'd been told to stay in her room for the day - her most recent, though accidental, 'rescue'.

* * *

 _Agent 6 didn't like this...Not at all. He'd been warned about this place - there were Octolings crawling about everywhere, but he was counting on it. He NEEDED to see Bic. To talk to her, to thank her! He just touched bases at the last deactivated checkpoint before the zapfish, and was now doing his trademark hiding behind a few boxes. He tried to hush his own anxiety - induced breathing, cradling his improved hero shot. It was quiet...Too quiet._

 _A quick peek around the box revealed the location of the last zapfish he needed to power the last area, but he was anything but a fool. There was too much wide, open space...it had to be a trap. A well thought out plan was going to be needed to safely nab it and NOT come out missing a tentacle or two. He peered out again, measuring the distance between him and the zapfi-_

 _ **Click.**_

 _He blinked, his nose now kissing the cold metal of the barrel of an Octoling's gun._ _ **"Get up."**_

 _Agent 6 laughed nervously, slowly rising with his hands and weapon in the air. "Haha...you caught me...Uh, can we talk about-"_

**_"_** _ **Shut it. Now, turn around."**_

 _He did as he was commanded, turning to see not one, not even two, but_ _three_ _Octolings surrounding him, all barrels pointed right at him. The Octoling in the center wore kelp in her tentacles - something that he'd learned signifies higher rank. She spoke with the same menacing voice commands as before._ _ **"Put your gun down, scum."**_

 _"Ladies, ladies...we don't have to do this, do we? After all, I'm sure somewhere deep down, you don't even wanna-" A shot of deep magenta ink lobbed past him, close enough to feel the air from the shot. "...Apparently we do...", he said quietly, laying his weapon on the ground._

 _"Should we just splatter him now? I mean, it'd be way less trouble in the long run.", came a suggestion from the Octoling on the left. The higher ranked one of the three shook her head and spoke once more in her monotonous tone._

 _ **"No, we need to Radio Octavio. He may want him alive for questioning."**_

 _The girl on the left sighed, and pulled a radio from her belt, grumbling something along the lines of 'fun killer' before calling in her report. Agent 6 looked to the right one, as she'd been quiet the whole time, and she seemed to be avoiding eye contact...Was that... "Bic...?"_

 _The girl jumped in shock, floundering about with her weapon before accidentally pulling the trigger, hitting her superior with a rather large gob of ink. The center Octoling slowly and menacingly turned, giving her the_ _deepest_ _scowl she could muster before returning her attention to the boxes. ...Wait. Boxes?_

 _ **"Where'd he go?!"**_ _She glanced at the ground and saw he'd escaped through an inktrail...that was fast. He was gone, but as she looked back, she could still see the zapfish sorrowfully powering the area. A retreat? Smart boy. The Octoling on the right rolled her eyes before speaking.  
"Octavio wants the security around this joint doubled here tomorrow. He'll be back for that zapfish, an' we'll be right here waiting." The superior glared at Bic, who kept her head low in silence, before she led the two back into the dock; it was getting late, and reports had to be made._

* * *

 **"WHAT IN THE NAME OF COD HAPPENED OUT THERE?!"**

Octavio screamed at the dark-colored Octoling from behind a screen as she held back tears. She bowed, grinding her teeth tightly.  
"S-sir, it wasn't my fault! It was 81-"  
 **"I DON'T CARE! NO EXCUSES! GIVE ME ONE GOOD DAMN REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T DECOMMISSION AND EXILE YOU TO INKOPOLIS TO DIE, YOU WORTHLESS EXCUSE OF A SOLDIER?!"**

The octoling winced, not wanting to be sent ou to die after working so hard to have earned her position. She quietly thought of how her next few words could sway him. She thought of 81C, and how much she HATED her for putting her in this position. She wouldn't be here right now like this if that Inkling didn't even know her name! How did he even know her self-given name, anyway?! ...Wait. After a minute, her tears stopped before she gave the most sinister grin possible and held her head up, facing Octavio's screen with confidence.

"Because sir, I have a plan..."

* * *

 **A/N: Super long chapter is super long! Cheesus christ. I hope no one's bothered by the length. I poured my all into this chapter, as per usual. Please give me feedback, so I can continue to make this story as best I can, and once again, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Have a good day!**


	5. Ch5 - Punished

**(A/N:** Aloha, everyone! New chapter, as always. Just a warning, there is a bit of torture in this chapter, so if you're not okay with that, get bad vibes or get triggered by that kind of thing, please don't read this chapter and kindly wait for the next one to come out on Wednesday! Thank you! Enjoy the chapter! **)**

* * *

Bic sat upright on her bed, head now in her hands. After recalling the recent events in her mind, she sighed, knowing she was in trouble. Just before she could imagine her punishment, the dinner bell rang. A small smile found it's way onto her face; surely a meal would clear her thoughts and make her feel the slightest bit better. She hopped off her bed and put on her boots, looking at herself in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable. As soon as she pulled back her tentacles, she nodded and opened the door. Instead of an empty hallway, she was instead greeted by two fellow Octolings that didn't look too friendly. Before she even had a chance to speak, they each grabbed one of her arms and dragged her away in the opposite direction of the mess hall...

This wasn't good.

They continued their synchronized march down the hall, the lighting getting darker as they progressed until it was almost pitch-black. Bic could still feel the un-relenting grips on her upper arms as well as hearing the clip-clopping of their boots against the cold metal flooring. She was about to question where they were headed when everything stopped - the sounds, the movement...They have arrived to wherever they were taking her. A creaking sound of a door opening was heard before she was mercilessly tossed into the dark room. Bic quickly stood, dusting herself off and silently wishing she had her night goggles as she swore. Taking a look around did her no good; she could barely see her own hands in front of her face. Amidst the harsh silence, a loud 'KA-CHAK' sound pierced her ears - She was locked in.

"H-Hello...? S-someone, please! What's going on?!"

No response but a quiet echo of her own voice. She sighed from the lack of answers to her questions as she began to blindly feel around the room, trying to get a visual of her surroundings. It seemed to be a room with nothing but walls, darkness and...something cold? After running her hands over the cold object, Bic managed to gather that it was a metal chair. It seemed to be the only thing in the room, so she decided to have a seat in it. Bic rubbed her arms for a bit, trying her best to warm herself in this chilling room. It was of decent size, the room, but with nothing here, only one word flashed into her mind:

 _Punishment._

Another sigh escaped her as she buried her head in her hands. She knew it was coming, she just didn't know what was going to happen, or when... Were they going to keep her here? If so, for how long...? There didn't seem to be a light switch from what Bic felt earlier, so were they just going to keep her blind? Were they going to bring her something to drink, at least? What about something to eat? Was she going to starve? It was that thought that made her tummy rumble something fierce. Bic groaned, hoping they wouldn't leave her here too long without at least telling her of her sentence...

* * *

After what felt like hours passed by, the faint sound of footsteps could be heard getting progressively louder. She lifted her head in a tiredly manner as the footsteps stopped in front of the door. The lock was undone with a familiar 'KA-CHAK' and the door was opened, allowing some light in. With the new dim lighting, Bic could make out about four figures. The door closed again, allowing the room's darkness to return for the splittest of seconds before the lights turned on, blaring into her sensitive eyes and blinding her for a bit. She held her hands up weakly with a hiss to shield her eyes as a deep voice spoke to her.

 **"Number 81C. You have been accused of treasonous behavior; How do you plea?"**

"Tr-treason?! N-no, it was an accident, I swear!", Bic cried in a panic. How did they come up with that?! Did they see her with Agent 6? No, she always checked her goggles for everyone else's positions before even thinking of going near him, so it has to be the misfire incident. She looked up to faintly see the figures discussing something among themselves before two of walked over to her and grabbed her, forcing her against the back of the chair. Bic squirmed and tried desperately to break free, now in full-on panic mode. Another walked up to her, holding what looked like a needle. Her pupils shrank in horror as she realized what was happening:

 _Lethal Injection_?! Wasn't this a bit too extreme for a tiny mistake?! No one even **died**!

Bic screamed at the top of her lungs, making everyone in the room cringe before they continued. Her left arm was forced out towards the figure with the needle by one of the subduing Octolings. The needle bearer now held the needle in one hand as the other wiped her exposed arm with a sanitizing cloth, despite her pleas. Bic was completely terrified - she couldn't do anything as the Octo brought the needle to a point, injecting her with whatever was inside the syringe before the two Octolings finally released her, tossing her defeated body onto the floor. She lifted her head in time to hear the deep voiced one speak once more.

 **"You have been found guilty of your crimes, however, due to certain...circumstances...your sentence shall be lessened just this once. Consider yourself lucky. Just to be sure you do not get any ideas in the the future, Ruff and Tuff here shall give you a _taste_ of what will happen, should you get any ideas."**

As soon as she heard the snap of a finger, a sharp kick was dealt to her side, causing a yelp to escape her. She moved her hands to the wounded area, only to have them stomped on by the Octoling's heavy boots. Bic tried desperately to yank them away from the pain to no avail, as the other Octo's assault on her figure continued. Another painful kick to her solidified-ink ribcage, a punch to her already sore arms followed by multiple kicks to her legs and so on - Bic was in tears, trying her hardest not to scream. The Octo stopped for a brief moment before dropping her elbow directly into the center of Bic's back, making her lose her held breath. She could faintly taste something copper-like, coughing up ink as she hoarsely begged for them to stop.

 _"Tch. Ruff, shut this bitch up."_

The Octoling that had been standing on her hands bent over, giving her a taste of brass knuckles to her jaw, then her head. It was then that almost everything went numb for Bic; She knew the assault wasn't over as she could still feel herself being hit, but the pain levels didn't seem to change in its intensity...Things were getting blurry.

" _Looks like dat sedative is takin' it's course, Tuff. We gotta wrap this up._ ", Ruff spoke, resting her boot firmly into one of Bic's tentacles. As the heel dug further into her sensitive flesh, Bic let out a long and quiet whimper of pain, being able to give nothing more. Tuff gave a nod and toothy grin before standing on the chair and, shortly after, dropping her knee into the small of Bic's back, causing her to cough up more ink before vomiting a small pool in front of her. The two Octos left her, but not before Tuff spat into her face with a laugh.

Bic's eyes, still reddened with tears, became heavy with fatigue as the saliva dripped down her face. She heard three sets of footsteps leaving the room and, strangely the last one entering. As the lights went back out, all she could see in her blurred vision was what looked like a glowing, green 'X' shape.

" _ **Let this be a reminder to you that you are nothing but a lowly Octoling, and that you NEVER go near an inkling without killing it. Octos and Inklings will NEVER be anything more than MORTAL. ENEMIES!"**_, the voice roared in her ear.

More tears streamed down her cheek as she lie on the cold, unforgiving floor. Bic curled up, causing her slightly more pain, and wept as they left the room. She sobbed pained tears for as long as she could before finally giving into the sedative and falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

 **(A/N:** So, I'm not good with fighting/torture/gore scenes...at least I don't think so. In any case, thank you for reading this (unusually short) chapter! I hate to do this to Bic, but not everything is sunshine and lollipops in Octo Valley. Besides, this will all make sense in the upcoming chapters, so stay tuned! Please, as always, give your feedback with reviews and such! See you next chapter! **)**


	6. Ch6 - Visions

**(A/N:** Aloha everyone. Just a quick thing to say before the chapter. One, I'm once again sorry for the delays as I've been having some trouble in life that doesn't allow me to have access to a computer for long periods of time at a time, so I haven't had a chance to type these up, but I've been diligently writing in my notebook, so the story will continue! Two, Since I have been missing dates for uploading, I'm going to be uploading 2-3 chapters today, so look out for that! That being said, please continue to read and enjoy my tale, and don't forget to leave me some feedback so I can continue to please the masses~ **)**

* * *

It was dark out, as observed by Agent 6 as he looked out his window. From his apartment, he had a very great view of Inkopolis, being on one of the high floors of the complex he resided in. Sure, the hike up the stairs was a pain, but it's all worth it to see how lit up the plaza is during splatfests. Despite this magnificent view, he sighed and returned his focus back to his dresser, grabbing his glasses so he could check the clock.

 **2:37 AM**

He placed a hand over his face in frustration, not wanting to be awake at this time of hour. He had little choice, though, as he'd been having crazy nightmares all night. It'd been a few weeks of going out on missions since he'd seen his little Octoling friend, and he was strangely upset about it; He could tell because all he dreamt about was her. They weren't pleasant dreams, though...no, that'd be too relaxing. A grunt escaped him as he reclined back into his pillows, staring at the ceiling.

"Bic...", He whispered, face turning into a worried expression. "Where are you...?" He closed his eyes, trying his hardest not to think too hard about it, miserably failing. As of late, he's had weird dreams of her in bad situations. Everything from being in a fire, to falling off a high place, to even being drowned while he could do nothing but watch...it was horrifying. Agent 6 held a hand over his chest, feeling sick. Something was wrong, and he could feel it. Why else hadn't he seen her in a while? Why else would he be having these...these...visions?

He shook his head, deciding maybe a drink would help him. He didn't drink often, only when he was extremely stressed or during social events. It was a bad habit, he knew, but he justified it mentally by telling himself that it was better than drugs or physical violence against someone who didn't deserve it. He got out of bed, sliding on his fuzzy bedroom shoes (Don't call them slippers or he'll get upset!) and headed out of his bedroom. He paused once he got to the doorway, hanging onto the wall as he staggered - he didn't feel well at all. A quiet growl from his stomach ushered him to the bathroom instead of the kitchen.

He leaned over his toilet, spewing what he'd eaten for lunch earlier today as he held onto the sides of the bowl. What in the hell was even wrong with him? He found himself asking that question ever since earlier today, when he didn't feel like eating dinner with his friends. ...Friends. Maybe he could call one of them up instead of drinking, since he had to go back to missions later today. Agent 6 sniffed, wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his pajamas and stood, quietly floundering back to his room. He grabbed his phone, staring at it's dark screen. Who would he call? Who'd be okay with him calling them at 2 in the morning? Maybe...

... ... ...

"Mmmn...H-Hello?", Came a sleepy voice.  
"H-hey..Callie, I need some..advice." He weakly said, taking a seat on his bed once again.  
"...At 2:45 in the morning..? Are you squiddin' me right now, Ce-"  
"I know, I know...Look, I'm sorry...But I couldn't call anyone else...I need advice, it's about..a girl." There was a shuffling sound on the other side of the phone before Callie spoke again, sounding more alert.  
"A girl? Oooh, Looks like you've got the hots for a hot one, eh? Spill it!"  
"Look...she's...not like other girls, okay? That's all I can say...I met her doing...something important, and she's like...other worldly, you know?"  
"Uh-huh."  
"And well...we kinda hit it off immediately, I think. We almost kissed an-"  
"WOAH! You almost kissed her the day you met her? You sly dog, 6!"  
"It-it's not like that," He stuttered, pushing his glasses up on his face. "The thing about it is...I saw her a few more times, but we didn't get to spend much time with each other...hell, we didn't even speak to each other..."  
"What's the deal with that?"  
"Uh...I guess you could say we were kind rushing to do stuff, I guess. Anyway...I haven't seen her in a while, and I'm kinda worried..."  
"Worried? Is she in trouble? Is someone threatening her?"  
"I...I don't know. Callie, I've been having dreams about her being hurt...What if she needs me?"

There was a pause on the other end, allowing Agent 6 to hear his own coarse breathing. Without noticing, he'd been in mini-panic mode, his free hand clenched over his pajama's shirt and breathing rather heavily into the phone's receiver. "Well," Callie started, "Maybe she IS in trouble...sometimes you don't have dreams like that for no reason...how long you been havin' 'em?"  
"Just about...for a few days now."  
"And how long have you not seen her?"  
"About two weeks..."  
"I see...I don't wanna alarm you, but you might wanna try to find her soon. You might be having premonitions, 6. Warning signs, if you wanna call it that. You must have a real strong connection with this gal. She got a name?"  
"..." He considered telling her a fake name, but decided it'd do no harm to tell her the truth. "Bic...He name's Bic."  
"Sounds nice enough..." Callie let out a quiet yawn. "Look, I hate to cut this short, but Marie an' I gotta be up early for the morning broadcast and-"  
"Yeah, o-of course. Sorry...But thank you, Callie...I guess I'll be able to sleep now."  
"No problemo, 6. Maybe after missions, we can grab lunch or somethin' tomorrow."  
"I guess...depends on how we feel tomorrow."  
"Cool. Stay fresh."  
"...yeah...stay fresh."

At the sound of the click of the phone call ending, he tossed his phone back onto his dresser and rested his head onto his pillows. True, he was feeling a little better after talking about his problem, but he would have liked to have gone into further detail about it. At least he could sleep, he thought, as he pulled up his sheets and took off his glasses. After he placed them back onto his dresser, he sighed once more before heading back into sleep.

* * *

 _Agent 6 stood in a dark room, looking around in a panic. "Wh..where am I?" No sooner than he finished his question, a spot light flashed on in front of him, revealing a beaten and bruised Octoling. His pupils shrank in horror once he realized who it was. "B-Bic?!" He screamed, running to her. Strangely, no matter how fast or what seemed like how far he ran, he didn't seem to be getting closer. He stopped, now out of breath, one hand on his bent knee and the other reaching out to her unresponsive body. "B-hah-Bic...are you...hah...okay?!" He called out, getting no response._

In the distance, he saw two other Octolings approach her, still kicking and beating her without remorse. "Wh-why?! HEY! YOU! STOP THAT! GET AWAY FROM HER!" No response from them, either. Could it be they couldn't hear him? He began to scream louder, just in case. "DIDN'T YOU TWO HEAR ME?! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

That did something, as they both looked up at him simultaneously, giving him almost demonic looks. They started to approach him, actually getting really close. He quickly reached for his hero shot - it wasn't there. He gulped, the two now looming over him menacingly. The two raised their fists and they both sped to Agent 6's face-

* * *

A loud gasp escaped Agent 6's lips as he rose from his slumber in a cold sweat. The light of the sun rising over the horizon shone into his unprotected eyes, forcing him to shield them as he panted heavily, staring out of the window. "...Just a dream...it was...just a dream..."

* * *

 **(A/N:** Short chapter, but I wanted to add this little bit in here for the sake of just having it. It wasn't written in my notebook, so this chapter was an improvisation! Feel free to not like it or do like it, it was more so something for me than for the story itself, so I apologize for the content not being its usual. The next chapter, however, is straight out of the book, and it's JUICY. So prepare your anuses! Don't forget to leave me feedback, and thank you for taking the time to be reading my story! **)**


	7. Ch7 - For Whom The Bell Tolls

**(A/N:** Second chapter! I may not upload the next chapter today, because Cliffhangers are fun. :U Either way, enjoy the story, everyone! **)**

* * *

It was weeks after Bic was punished, and she'd been locked in her room to recover, only receiving meals through her door and not allowed to leave for any other reason than to use the toilet. She had a few bruises and areas where her ink hadn't solidified correctly since - _broken bones, so to speak_ \- but they'd just about healed up now. She solemnly looked at her left arm; Ever since that injection, an odd barcode-esque shaped black mark had appeared in its place, getting darker and larger in size as the days went on. She tried to get it to go away, but being in her own ink and even trying to scrape it away did no justice...It was the only physical reminder of that day and Bic **hated** it with an intense passion.

The door opened, interrupting Bic's deep thoughts, as an Octoling with kelp adorning her dark colored tentacles stepped into her doorway. " _81C_ ," Bic visibly winced when she heard that name, hating being called a number. "Your little vacation is over. You are to report back to work immediately, so suit up." The door closed without another word, leaving Bic to her vices once again. With a spiteful growl, Bic raised herself from her bed to get dressed.

* * *

Bic was placed back into the force, this time under strict orders of being overshadowed by a superior ranked Octoling at all times. They both stood in the back of the dock as the hatch opened, shining the sunlight Bic so badly missed onto the mass of octolings there as they dispersed in waves. Finally, the two set out towards their post in front of the Zapfish. The whole trip there, Bic was silent; not even taking the time to enjoy the scenery as she often did before. The higher ranked Octoling took notice to her lack of communication, and decided to tease her a little by pistol whipping the side of her head.

"Ow-!"  
"Ah, lighten up. I'm the one stuck with ya, an' you don't see me complainin'. What'd you even _do_ , anyway?"

Bic winced, baring her large, sharp teeth as she kept her gaze to the asphalt beneath their feet while they traveled. " _...Treason_.", She spat with every ounce of hate she could muster.  
"Woah, that's pretty heavy. Normally, Octavio woulda had you beaten to a pulp, then had ya exiled. To be honest, ya got off easy - He musta been in a good mood...that or yer somethin' _special_."

" _Tch_." Bic rolled her eyes behind her goggles and continued to stay silent after that. She  really didn't feel like talking about this of all things, now of all times. She took three more steps behind the commander before she felt her hard hand smack her chest armor, which hurt a little against her sensitive bruises; Just enough to annoy her. "Seriously! Quit i-"  
"Shh! ...Ya hear that? Get yer gun out an' stay quiet."

She once again rolled her unseen eyes, more following orders and tagging behind as the Commanding Octoling stealthily crawled over to a vantage point. The kelp-clad octoling took a look down and grinned a huge, toothy grin before silently signalling her to come to her side with a movement of her hand. Bic's highly annoyed look slowly turned into one of shock, then pure horror as she spotted Agent 6 down below, moving past them - unaware of their presence. She turned to her superior, who stared at him with a sinister intent, then gulped as she heard her whisper.

"Looks like it's time for some redemption, rookie."

Before Bic could open her mouth to protest, the other octoling lept down like a cat, pouncing on its prey. She landed with her boot planted **deep** in his chest, making him fall to the ground, hero shot flung behind him, gasping for air as he reached for her boot, trying desperately to remove it. "Rookie! Get down here! I want you to be able to take credit for this.", The Octoling called, facing her. Hesitantly, Bic once again followed orders, sliding down to the two below. Agent 3 spotted her, knowing who she was instantly by the mole on her arm once more. He weakly held out a hand to her, choking out her name. The Octoling took note of this, increasing her pressure on his chest and making him cough out a little more.

"So, you two already know each other, uh?"  
"P-please, stop! You're hurting him!"  
"Oh, I'm gonna do more than _hurt_ him."

She brought her weapon down to him, pressing the barrel against his forehead. Bic quickly hopped onto her, trying feverishly to get the gun away from her, but to no avail - she was thrown back onto the ground behind them with great force. Her commander stared at her as she weakly tried to get up - her bruises made any pain received feel like it was multiplied by many levels.  
"I see...so he's the reason, eh? Well then, Octavio's gonna be thrilled to know he's gone!" She spat as she turned back to the inkling underneath her. She raised her foot ever so slightly, allowing him a bit of air but still holding him in place. "You've caused a lotta trouble, scum. Ya even got 81C here in trouble witcha," Bic winced, seeing Agent 6's eyes widen, almost like he had a sudden realization as he noticed the bruises on her body. "So, you trash," The octoling continued, " _Ya got any last words_?"

Agent 6 painfully raised his head to fully look at Bic past his captor. He fretted when he saw she'd started to cry, tears flowing like crystalline rivers down her smooth face. "Bic I-I'm sorry...I just needed to see you again...to thank you for all the times you saved my butt - I know it was you...I just wish I could repay you- GAK!" He coughed, feeling the full force of the boot returning to his chest.

"How touching...Almost makes me wanna puke." She spat, forcing the gun further against his forehead. "Too bad I'm not one for sappy shit, or I'd let ya kiss and make up."

Bic frantically looked about, trying to think of something, ANYTHING, to stop this as she heard the familiar clicking sound of the safety being removed from her commander's gun.

"I'm doin' this for you, kid-" The octoling said, glancing back at Bic for a split second before turning her full attention back to the inkling.

"See you in hell, scum."  
"PLEASE, NO!"

There was the sound of a single shot being fired that echoed through the valley, followed by the loud explosion of a body of ink.

* * *

 **(A/N:** Well, squit. That escalated quickly...Looks like I did it again. I _have_ to stop killing off my characters. In any case, please be sure to leave me feedback so I can continue to make this story the best it can be, and look forward to the next chapter! Thank you for reading! **)**


	8. Ch8- Of Ink and Murder

**(A/N:** First, let me start by saying **FUCK.** Someone pointed out that I've been sporadically calling Agent 6 By "Agent 3" and this is a mistake on my part. He is truly Agent 6, but due to me having my full story already written in my notebook and I refer to him as "Agent 3", sometimes I forget to change it to 6 as I type. Please forgive me as I go and beat my forehead into the nearest table. With that being said, on with the chapter a few of you have held your breath for! **)**

* * *

Tears flowed down Bic's face as she beheld the scene before her - a pool of blue ink...and kelp...now lay where her commander once stood. Agent 6 sat up, coughing and wiping the dirt and ink from his jacket before watching Bic as she shook with anxiety. She trembled, still having Agent 6's gun in the same position as when she shot down her commander. He blinked, looking from the puddle, back to Bic, who was slowly coming back to reality. "B-Bic...you..." 

"Oh COD WHAT HAVE I DONE?!", Bic screamed before dropping his hero shot. It hit the ground in front of her as she brought her hands to her head, holding it in fear as her legs instinctively folded into her chest. She stared at the kelp that floated in the cobalt ink in a panic, crying and uttering incoherently to herself. "No...n-no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..." As she proceeded to promptly freak the fuck out, having a mental breakdown, Agent 6 rose to his feet and slowly walked to her, picking up his weapon and holstering it.

A faint rustle of some leaves caught his attention over Bic's uncontrollable sobbing - he looked to the trees behind them. Lights...and lots of them...They were being watched.

"B-Bic.." He quietly called, backing up slowly. He reached down, offering her a hand, which she didn't take in her moment of fear. He glanced down at her quickly, then returned his gaze to the trees. "Bic, I know you're freaking the shell out right now and all, and I hate to interrupt you, but uh...we gotta go...Now." There was still no response but more inaudible mutterings from her; She was still in hysterics, which was understandable. The number of lights in the trees were increasing at an alarming rate, and he could now hear them all whispering among themselves. 'Shit...'

Agent 6 swiftly dipped down and grabbed Bic's arm, forcing her to her feet and bringing her attention back to reality enough for her to see they were in danger. A few Octolings lept from the trees and began to fire mercilessly at the two, throwing bombs that came a little two close for his comfort. "Bic, C'mon and RUN!" He screamed, turning and taking off, Bic's arm still in his tight grasp.

As they fled, Bic stared, with tears still in her eyes, at the pool of ink as it got further and further away before whispering a single, silent apology.

 _"I...I'm sorry..."_

* * *

Bic and Agent 6 snuck through the alleyways of Octo Valley, using the night as their guise. Agent 6 led the way, keeping his gun ready to fire if anything or anybody came out of no where as Bic silently stuck close behind him, frantically surveying the area to gather where they were. Without looking back at her, Agent 6 could tell she was scared and nervous. "Don't worry, you'll be okay if you stay with me.", He reassured. With a nod, she continued to follow him to what looked like a rather beat down shed with pictures and news clippings involving Octos on the front - Bic didn't like the looks of this, but had no choice but to trust Agent 6 at this point, which was something she, for the most part, had no trouble with. Before they stepped inside, an elderly inkling stepped out with a cane in one hand to help him stand from what she could gather. He had a rather unruly beard and his bones were worn - she could see a majority of them through his thin skin. He wore a cap of war, one Bic had seen in books she'd studied in while being home schooled. As she eyed the medals on his torn shirt, he spoke up.

"Laddie! Thank Cod yer back! I radioed ya several times an' ye never respo-" The elderly inkling paused, eyes just now meeting with Bic's concerned ones. A few seconds passed before he began to scream violently, pointing his cane at her. "LAD! YE BROUGHT ON 'A THEM HERE?! SHE'S GONNA MURDER YE AND EAT ALL ME CRABBY CAKES!"

Agent 6 facepalmed while Bic couldn't help but giggle at little at Cap'n's ramblings.  
"SHE BE RIPPIN' YE APART-"  
"...Cap'n."  
"EAT YE FER DINNER-"  
"Cap'n."  
"YER AS GOOD AS SUSHI!"  
"Cap'n!"  
"AN' THEN SHE BE EATIN' ME FROM THE INSIDE OUT!"  
"CAP'N!"  
"WHAT, LADDIE?!"

Agent 6 put a comforting hand on Bic's shoulder before speaking in a more proper tone. "Relax...Before you give yourself a heart attack. Let me explain once we're inside."  
"There's no way ye be expectin' me ta let that into me cabin!"

With a rather spiteful, stern and threatening stare from Agent 6, Cap'n furrowed his brow and sighed. "Fine."

As the two were led inside, Agent 6 kept his hand on Bic's shoulder to reassure her, seeing as she didn't get the warmest of welcomes from Cuttlefish. He looked over to her as she gave him a weak smile. They were seated on a rather small and withered couch while Cap'n took a seat in a rocking chair directly across from them. "Alright lad...Ye got some explainin' ta do.", He stated firmly, not taking his eyes off of the Octoling currently sitting on his furniture.

Agent 6 then began to tell Cap'n Cuttlefish about all of Bic's exploits - about how she saved his ass on several occasions, about how they met, about how she sacrificed for him...everything that had occured over the course of the last few months, he laid it all down on the table for Cap'n to hear as Bic sat back in the couch, a little uncomfortable with Cap'n staring a hole into her soul. Despite his gaze, Cap'n listened intently, eyebrows raising and falling as his pupil's tales progressed. He continued to stare at Bic, whose eyesight rarely left the floor. "...And well, That's why she's here...She needs a place to go, Cap'n, and I'm sure taking her to my place in Inkopolis while the Great Zapfish is still gone is a bad idea..."

"So ye be wantin' me to shelter the lass?"  
"Just until I can get back the Great Zapfish! Please!"  
"...And ye be trustin' this lassie?"  
Agent 6 closed his eyes, brows furrowed as he placed a hand over Bic's. "With my life, Cap'n."

With those words, Bic gasped and looked to Agent 6; She'd never seen him with such a serious look, even while fighting the toughest of Octavio's underlings. All was quiet for a moment as Cap'n stroked his beard with his left hand. Agent 6's hands were now balled into tight fists and as the silence progressed, they tightened even further to the point of them trembling. Bic fretted over this, wishing he'd smile again to diffuse the atmosphere. After a few agonizing minutes, the sound of snoring could be heard from Cap'n's chair.

"..."

"Did he-"  
"Yes, Bic...Yes he did." Agent 6 said, sliding a hand down his face in a highly agitated manner. He stood, walked over to a small fridge in the corner of the room, opened it and finally retrieved something small wrapped in plastic. Upon opening it, Cap'n Cuttlefish snapped awake, now angrily wielding his cane as a bat.

"WHO BE TOUCHIN' ME CRABBY CAKES?!"

"Cap'n! Focus! What about Bic?" Agent 6 asked as he tossed the snack to him. He caught it and took a bite, happily enjoying the savory flavor of his beloved Crabby cakes. As he swallowed, he nodded and pointed to Bic with the bitten crabby cake.

"I trust ye, laddie. An' if ye be trustin' this lass, then I'll have faith in yer judgement."  
"R-really?!" He asked, thankfully.  
"As long as she doesn't touch me crabby cakes."

Bic and Agent 6 beamed with happiness and relief, Bic more so than he. She lept up, giving him a tight, thankful hug, which made his face and ears turn slightly red almost instantly. Cap'n, as he took another bite, thought quietly to himself.

 _'So she be the lass...'_

* * *

**(A/N:** Are you all happy? He's still alive and she's now a murderer! :D Yay! Anywho, not much to say after this one since I typed it in a rush, but please don't forget to leave your feedback! It encourages me to keep writing! Thank you for taking the time to read my story! **)**


	9. Ch9 - Therapy

**(A/N:** Aloha, everyone! A bit of news real quick: Instead of me updating every Monday/Wednesday like I'd planned, I'll just be uploading the chapters when I can, since I'm in a situation that doesn't guarantee me access to a computer every Monday/Wednesday. Also, the reason the last chapter was (for a time) numbered as 9 even though it was 8, was because I was typing things in a rush as I was being rushed out of the place that I was using for internet. Thank you to those who brought that mistake to my attention! That being said, due to a few people requesting it, these next two (or maybe this one, depending on if you all would like another) chapters will be filler chapters, building more on A6 and Bic's relationship. :U If I die from fluff, I blame you all. That being said, enjoy the chapter! **P.S.** After typing this chapter up, I realized how long it was! WHEW. Pull up a chair and...cup of coffee. ;D **)**

* * *

The sun was setting beautifully on the horizon now, Agent 6 had gone home for the day a while ago and now Bic sat with Cap'n, talking about themselves as they watched the sunset. Cap'n had made them both some tea, allowing Bic to sit outside with him. He found it an odd request to be able to watch the sun, but dismissed it once he realized she'd been cooped up in the Octo base for so long.

"An' that's how me lil' grandsquids got famous! I'm so proud 'a them, really."  
"I never would have guessed you were related! Wow!" Bic replied, completely enthralled.  
"I gotta say, lass. 6's judgement is right on the money with ye. I was wrong about ye, but ye gotta understand where I was comin' from...I can count on one hand how many Octarians are like ye that I've seen in all me years of turf warin'."

Bic blushed and shrugged it off, looking down to the ground. At first, Cap'n didn't want Agent 6 to leave him alone with Bic, fearing the worst, but after a small conversation about her likes and views, she'd grown on the old salty inkling, allowing him to finally accept her; Bic could tell how he'd gotten more relaxed in her presence. "W-well, that's just the way my mom raised me..." She said shyly, finally bringing her head back up. They both took a sip of their cups before she continued. "Mom never did like fighting...But she didn't hesitate to help a friend in need... _or a loved one_..." Cap'n's ears caught the last half of her hushed sentence with a slight twitch.

"I see...So ye be like yer mom, then?"

Bic froze, thinking back to earlier that day. Cap'n took note, seeing the cup of tea now shaking in her unsteady hands as she seemed to zone out. He watched her as she went from happy and talkative to being quiet, almost on the brink of tears. He almost felt bad for her, having to had ended one of her own kind, but it was nothing he wasn't used to from his old war days. He coughed loudly, bringing Bic back from her thoughts. She looked at him and gave a weak laugh, trying her hardest to smile. "Y-yeah...I guess you could say that, couldn't you? Ahaha..."

"It's okay lass. Ye don't have to act tough around me. I've seen it all."

"...That's quite alright...Let me show ye where ye be sleepin'."

A quiet nod was received from her, prompting him to weakly stand, hand on his cane, as he signaled for Bic to follow him back into the shack. Bic picked up the tea cups and empty pot, deeply sighing as she looked up to what was now the night sky.

After Cap'n showed her to the small room he kept in the back, she thanked him and was about to lie down before he'd stopped her. "Lass. There be somethin' I want to tell ye."  
"Y-Yes, Cap'n?"  
"I've been thinkin'. Ye know the boy...he's not the most expert soldier out there. He be need'n some help...I want to train ye."  
"Wh- what?!" Cap'n nodded.  
"He be need'n help to fight Octavio, lass. An' I be too old...He's gonna need ye, lassie."

Bic sat on the dusty bed behind her, staring at her lap in deep thought as Cap'n took a seat in an old wooden chair. Her speech was shaky, still not forgiving herself for today's events. "I...I-I don't know, Cap'n...I've already splattered...I mean I killed...She was my commander and I...I don't want to do it again, Cap'n! I just cant!" Her tears came back, this time quickly welling up in her eyes her train of thought instantly derailed back into a flashback of earlier, turning her silent tears into uncontrollable sobbing. "I-I-I can't- Can't go back...R-ruff...an-and Tuff! And Octavio! They're gonna...gonna-!"

"Lass," Cap'n spoke in a stern, yet soft enough tone not to scare her. "He won't make it without ye."  
"B-But-!"  
"Here," He handed her a somewhat clean looking handkerchief, "He wouldn't wanna see ye cry."

Bic hesitantly reached for the cloth, accepting it and wiping the tears that stained her rosy face away. After she was done, Cap'n spoke again, this time in a more serious tone. "They consider ye a traitor...an' won't hesitate to kill ye, Bic. I know it hurts, but ye have little to no choice. At least let me train ye in ink resistance, so ye won't get hurt by friendly fire."

She was silent, soaking in Cap'n's words and thinking of all the possibilities. Her eyes were focused on her lap, still not verbalizing anything but a few quiet whimpers. Cap'n sighed, closing his eyes as he got up to leave. He walked to the doorway, stopping before he opened the door. "It be alright, lass. I won't pressure ye. Just give it some thought, alright? He needs ye, an' I'm sure ye be wantin' him to be safe. Ye should get some shut-eye for the night. G'night, Lass." The door shut gently as Bic turned and reclined into the bed's soft but dusty sheets, letting a few clouds of lint and dust from underneath. She stared at the chair Cap'n once sat in, moisture still in her eyes.

 _"Goodnight..."_

* * *

 **81C.**

 _Bic turned, seeing nothing but darkness. "Wh-Who? N-no...that's not my name..."_

 **81C...**

 _Bic held her hands over her ears, getting a little scared and upset. "S-Stop it! That's not my name!" A light appeared in front of her, illuminating a puddle of blue ink. Bic knew she should have avoided it, but she was being drawn to it, like she had no choice but to inspect it. As she got closer, the color of the pool was distorted into Blue with bits of Magenta. She paused, seeing something rising, before backing up in a panic, falling on her bottom and scooting away in fear once she realized who- or rather what- it was. A grotesque blob of magenta and blue ink emerged, looking something like an Octoling in mid-transformation, save for the blue splotches that looked like blood oozing from the eyes and mouth._

 **81C!**

 _"N-NO! I'M SORRY! PLEASE-!"  
_ **81C! YOU DID THIS TO MEEEEEEEEE-**

* * *

Bic shot up, waking up in a panic as she screamed a little with tears in her eyes. "Wh-Why..." Before she could continue, she jumped nearly out of the bed because there was a sudden _**clink**_ at the window. She breathed heavily, hearing another, and another. She stood, walking cautiously to the window before opening it, looking out to see Agent 6 standing there with a pile of small rocks. "A-Agent 6?"

He put a finger to his lips, signalling her to be quiet, before speaking in a hushed tone. _"Hey...I was trying to get you up for a while. You alright?"_  
Bic gulped, wondering if she should tell the truth to him. She decided against it, not wanting to talk about that event anymore and nodded. He smiled, pointing towards the direction of the door - did he want her to come out? She left the window and quietly made her way out of the room, past Cap'n's room where she heard him violently sawing logs in his sleep, and to the door, which she stealthily opened without making a sound. Bic closed it and turned, meeting with Agent 6's rather happy face."Bic-!" He greeted, pulling her into a hug. She was stunned only for a second before melting into his warm embrace - it was just what she needed after her little episode...No sooner had she gotten accustomed to this new feeling of comfort, it was ripped away from her when he pulled away to talk to her.

"Hey, I couldn't sleep...I figured you might not have been able to either so...you wanna...Iunno...hang out? I had an idea."  
"U-uh...s-sure...what's your idea?" She asked quietly, still missing his body heat. He simply smiled and took her hand, pulling her towards the kettle to Inkopolis. Bic's heels dug into the asphalt when she realized where they were going. "W-wait! I can't go there, you said it yourself!"  
"It's okay, I have an idea."

"I don't think this is gonna work..." Bic said, looking in the mirror. Her tentacles were hidden by a cap given to her by Agent 6, which she admittedly thought was cute. He nodded, giving an approving smile.  
"It will, trust me. Now, C'mon! I got something I wanna show you!" He said, dragging her into the kettle with him.

* * *

They both emerged from the kettle in the center of Inkopolis square - right in front of the Turf War area entrance. Agent 6 started to walk away, but noticed Bic frozen in awe. The lit buildings, the signs of beautifully decorated (or at least Bic thought so) advertisements, even down to the sleeping cat behind them. Her eyes were wide with shock as Agent 6 took her hand, making her attention snap back to him. "Haha. Hey, don't go overloading on me. I haven't showed you what I have planned. C'mon." He softly said, pulling her into the direction of what looked like a restaurant. As they stepped inside, a small bell rang and a voice was heard from the back.

 _"Welcome to the Inkopolis Cafe, y'all! Have a seat anywhere ya want, I'll be witcha in a sec!"_

Agent 6 pulled Bic to a booth by the window as Bic surveyed the new environment. It was warm and cozy inside this place, brown colors on the walls and cute wall decorations of cups and cakes...and the smell...Bic couldn't help but inhale deeply, her shoulders relaxing at the heavenly smell that invaded her senses. Agent 6 watched her, smiling tenderly as she got to experience this new environment. Bic took a look at the menu hanging above the bar, taking note of all the new things she'd never heard of and wanted to try. Her attention went from there to the lighting in the building; It was dim, but just enough lighting to see and be comfortable...She loved it! Bic gave an incredibly toothy smile as an Inkling wearing a black apron walked up to them and smiled warmly.

"Howdy there, _Ce-Ce_!"  
"Haha...only you call me that, Milly."  
"Well, ya don't like when people call ya by yer name, so ah figure that'd be close enough." The pink-colored inkling female spoke with a hardy laugh. Her gaze went from him to Bic, raising an eyebrow. "So, lil' miss lady, you datin' _Ce-Ce_?"  
"M-Milly!"  
"Whaaat? I can ask, seein' as ya brought 'er in an' all. You know my rules, ya bring in a girl, I assume she's yer plus one."  
"Dating...?" Bic quietly asked. Milly simply nodded with a big smile on her face. Bic giggled a little, making Agent 6 blush, before responding. "Well...I suppose this is a date, isn't it? I'd say yes, then." Agent 6 felt a pang in his heart as his face turned completely red behind his glasses as he pushed them up on his face, causing Milly to roar with laughter.

"Haha! Alright, puddin'. What can I get fer the _lovely couple_ this evenin'?" The waitress asked, taking out a pencil and notepad. Agent 6, still red, stammered something incoherent as he pointed to the menu. Bic laughed along with Milly as she wrote down his order before she turned to her Octoling in disguise. "Now, darlin', what can I get fer ya?"

"Ah...", Bic started, staring at the menu. Though it wasn't extensive, it was certainly more options than she got from the Base. She'd never tried coffee, as every Octoling that drank it said it tasted disgusting. Maybe here would be different? "C-could I have the Mandarin Orange Coffee blend, please..?"

"A course, darlin'. I'll have yer orders ready in a few. Try to keep it PG-13 while ah'm gone." She said with a wink before walking away, leaving the two.

Bic smiled and released a breath of air she didn't know she'd been holding that long. She didn't get noticed! It worked! She looked straight across to Agent 6, who seemed to have his head in the clouds still. Bic decided to break the silence by trying to start a conversation. "So...She called you ' _Ce-Ce_ '. What's your actual name, Agent 6?" This question seemed to bother him a little, seeing as he began to look about, trying to avoid the question it appeared.

"Th-that'll come at a later time, okay? I'm just... _I don't like my name is all_."  
"I understand." Bic said happily. She continued, "Well...I thank you for bringing me here, this place is very lovely...I guess it's a good dating spot, isn't it?"  
Agent 6's redness returned ten-fold, effectively making him cover his face and turn away, waving the subject away. "H-hey, Milly's back!"

"Oh no you don't. Yer gonna answer that lil' lady's question. I wanna hear it mahself." Milly said firmly, setting down a tray of goodies on the table. Agent 6 grumbled, answering the question with a hushed 'Yes...'. Having gotten the response she wanted, Milly smiled and waved the two goodbye as she walked back behind the counter. Agent 6 grabbed his plate of cookies along with a small cup of dark-orange liquid. It smelled of apples, to what Bic could tell. That left a cup and another plate on the tray, which Bic assumed was hers. In truth, she knew nothing of what she'd ordered; It just sounded nice, so she chose it. She grabbed the cup and saucer, putting the tip of the cup to her lips before stopping to enjoy the soothing aroma of the coffee. It smelled absolutely heavenly...the scent of oranges...coffee and... _nutmeg_? Oh, this was going to be good.

Bic finally took a few gulps of the coffee and could actually feel her muscles relaxing themselves after what seemed like an eternity of having them tense. A slow and calm exhale from her made Agent 6 smile - he knew he'd made the right choice to bring her here. They sat there in almost silence, enjoying each others' company as they sipped their drinks, only breaking the silence every now and again to talk about simple things like favorite colors and such. After a bit of pleasant conversation, Milly walked back up to the two with the bill and her trademark smile. "It's about time ah closed up shop. Y'all come back soon, ya hear? Ah'd like to hear about what yer gonna _name yer children_!"

With a blush from the both of them and their flustered reactions, Milly walked away laughing heartily to herself. Agent 6 picked up the bill, eyes widening when he saw what was written on it. Bic raised an eyebrow as he sat back in his chair and slid the note over to her.

 _'You two are just the sweetest thing I've seen since my Octo Pies. This one's on me!_

 _\- Milly'_

* * *

The two happily waved at Milly as they walked back to the kettle, hand in hand. Bic felt something she hadn't felt in a while...ever since she'd left her mother's home - Safe. Even though she was still in Inkopolis, the fact of how she was treated for her first visit gave her hope that one day she'd be able to walk these streets in the daytime and get the same treatment. That thought kept her heart warm as they traveled back to Octo Valley on up to Cap'n's shack. The two stopped once they got to the door.

"Well, it's super late, but thanks for coming with me, Bic."  
"N-no! Thank you for taking me out... _I...I really needed it_..."  
"I figured..."

A bit of awkward silence was shared between the two, almost as if neither one wanted to leave fist. Bic's hand slowly broke away from Agent 6's as she opened the door quietly. As Agent 6 turned, he felt Bic hug him from his side, kissing his cheek quickly before running back to the door. With a giggle, she waved him off goodnight. He mindlessly waved back, almost tripping over himself as he headed back to the kettle.

All the way home, he held his hand over his cheek, grinning dreamily like a little dork.

* * *

 **(A/N:** FUCK I MADE THIS WAY TOO LONG I THINK. -Ahem- Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this little filler chapter. If you did, let me know and I'll do another that'll be more focused on the date instead of the trip there (I know I should have done that in the first place, please don't kill me). Please leave your feedback, and, as always, thank you for taking the time to read my story! **)**


	10. Ch10 - More Witnesses

**(A/N:** Time to listen to romance songs to get the ol' fluff juices flowin' again! I'm gonna type this entire chapter listening to nothing but 'When you Love' By Sinead O'Connor. If you'd like, you can listen to it while you read a certain part of this chapter. Don't worry, I'll tell you when, just because I love you all. Enjoy this filler! **)**

* * *

Bic groggily rose out of bed, wiping her tired eyes and turning to the left - no alarm clock. "Oh...right..." Bic whispered to herself. A part of her was secretly wishing this was all just a horrible nightmare, that she'd be waking up soon and would be greeted by her room's compact walls and red alarm clock - but it wasn't. With a sorrowful sigh, she hopped out of the old, dusty bed and took a peek out of the window she snuck out of last night. A quick glance at the sun's position told her it was around 7 am. "Overslept..." she said to herself quietly, wiping her face. One sluggish, sleepy trip to the kitchen later, Bic perked up with a very fun idea.

* * *

Agent 6 locked the back door to his apartment complex - He and the building's owner were good friends, which was why he had a key. He tended to sneak out at night, and during the early morning; He thought that having a key to the door was kind of a dumb idea, but now that he worked for Cap'n, he was glad the owner trusted him with a key. With that thought in mind, he pocketed the key and headed to the kettle to Octo Valley as per usual.

 _"Hey! Ce-Ce!"_

He turned, being greeted by Milly, who was waving happily and ushering him to come over to her. This was unusual, as he didn't normally see Milly opening shop until about two hours after he'd be leaving for Octo Valley in the morning. Regardless, he walked over to her as she was opening the door to the Cafe. As he came upon her, she silently waved him inside, locking the door behind him. "Uh- Mills, what's up?"

"Mornin' dah'lin'. Ah had somethin' ah wanted ta talk to ya about."  
"Uh...sure. You normally don't open this early..."  
"That's why Ah'm here. It was important."  
"Okay..." Agent 6 took a seat in a chair in the kitchen as she typed a few things into a computer - Clocking in, most likely.  
"So, about yer lil' girlfriend..." Agent 6 gulped. "Ah know she's one a' them Octolin's."

Agent 6 froze in his chair, heart skipping a beat. How did she catch on? She didn't seem to know when she was serving them last night...did someone tell her? No, Cap'n doesn't come to the Cafe, he always gets delivery, so how...? He swallowed hard, watching her put on her apron and name badge before turning on her oven for the day. His eyes followed her as she got her pencil and notebook from a counter, placing them in the pockets of her apron, then opening the fridge to get some pre-made dough out and place it on the counter top next to him. She got out a rolling pin and started to roll out the puff pastry dough. Her silence during all of this was driving him nuts, allowing him too much time to think about too many questions about how she knew, so he tried to break the silence.

"H-haha, Milly, you're funny as always. I mean...an Octoling? How would I even-"  
"Ce-Ce, ya might'a hid 'er tentacles, but she was still wearin' 'er armor."

Agent 6 thought for a second, then put his head in his palms as she continued to roll, humming to herself. He mentally cursed himself, being so careless about the whole thing.

"Ya should be glad ya came into the Cafe when ya did. There wasn't any customers at that late time 'a night...Ce-Ce, ya coulda caused a scene, a panic, an uproar...Ya normally aren't that careless. Ah can tell ya really like 'er."  
"...Are you gonna alert the town?" Milly stopped rolling and gave him her signature smile.  
"Nah, silly. Ah meant what ah wrote last night. Ya'll are cute together. So, ya wanna explain how in the heck ya'll started bein' an item?"

Agent 6 sighed, adjusting himself in his seat. A faint dinging sound was heard from the far end of the kitchen, making Milly walk over to it for a bit. She came back with a cup of coffee, Agent 6's favorite blend, and handed it to him before going back to her dough expectantly. He stared down into the freshly brewed coffee, taking in the brilliant scent before allowing himself a sip. It slightly burned his tongue, but didn't let it stop him from proceeding to tell of his adventures with Bic to her.

Milly listened intently, taking everything in as she prepared her doughs for the day. Her expressions came and went as she cut the dough, mixing in different berries and jams to make her famous pastries. She was quite saddened when she heard of his dreams, trying her hardest not to cry into the pastries going into the oven. A few laughs escaped her as she heard of how she kept saving his butt from the silliest of situations. As his story came to a close, a faint ding came from the oven - the pastries for the morning were done. By then, Agent 6 had already drank 3 cups of coffee and finished with a weak smile. "And after a little convincing, we finally got Cap'n to let her stay with him until this whole zapfish thing blows over. That's...that's it."

"Ah see...So ya'll have some kinda connection goin' on. That's pretty cute." This earned a blush from Agent 6 as she took the coffee mug from him, placing it into the sink as she ushered the two into the front of the shop. "Ah had a feelin' she had ta' have been somethin' special. 'Ere- ", She reached behind her counter, handing him a few bags before continuing, "Take 'er these. Ah don't mind havin' 'er in fer a cup 'er two every day, but she can't be causin' a scene in my Cafe, ya hear?" He took a look into the bags, smiling widely when he saw what was inside.

"How did you-"  
"Ah'm a shop owner, Ce-Ce. Ah got connections. Now git, I gotta open up shop and ah'm sure Bic's waitin' on ya."  
"R-right! Thanks, Milly! I'll pay you back for this, " He said, hastily running out of the newly unlocked front door, "I promise!"

The ringing of the bell made it clear that the door had closed behind Milly's back as she sighed, grabbing her cloth from behind the bar. She walked to the door, flipping the 'CLOSED' sign to 'OPEN' before calmly returning back to the bar and thinking to herself.

 _'I hope everyone'll be as accepting of her as I am...for their sake.'_

* * *

"Cap'n, " Agent 6 called, knocking on the shack's front door, "I'm coming in!" He opened the door and was immediately greeted by a fantastic scent. He inhaled deeply, humming to himself upon smelling the mixed scents of warm syrup and cooked meats. "Man...", He closed the door behind him, "What's cooking, Cap'n?" He questioned aloud as he walked into the small dining room area. Cap'n sat at a table with a fork and knife in each hand.

"Aye, lad! Ye be just in time!"  
"In time for wh-"

"Breakfast~!" Bic sang in a happy tone, bursting from the kitchen. In her hands was a giant platter full of delicious looking food; Golden pancakes, an assortment of scrambled and fried eggs, bacon, sausages, toast and an array of jellies. "Agent 6! You're just in time!~ It's a good thing I made enough for all of us!" She excitedly declared, sitting the platter down. Upon closer inspection, he found that she'd shaped the pancakes into hearts and butterflies. He couldn't help but think it was cute. "I hope you two enjoy! I'll get us something to drink for us!" She said, dancing back into the kitchen. Cap'n nabbed a few pancakes on a fork with a few strips of tuna bacon before pouring syrup over it all before starting a conversation.

"Ye certainly know how to pick 'em, lad. She'll make a fine bride for ye." Agent 6 almost choked on his pancake.  
"Wh-What?! C-Cap'n, don't say stuff like that!"  
"What? I'm just sayin' that she'll make a fine bride. She be a great cook, she be bright as the sun an' she be willin' ta' train with ye to aid ye against Octavio."  
"She...She is?"  
"Aye! She even made us a fine power breakfast fit for a king! Aye, if I wasn't old an' never married..."

Agent 6 fake gagged right before Bic happily sauntered out of the kitchen with a large pitcher of light brown liquid. "I hope tea's okay, it's all Cap'n had..."  
"Tea's a fine drink anytime, lass! Thank ye fer whippin' up this feast!"  
"A-ah, it's no trouble," Bic blushed as she scratched her cheek, "I figured it was the least I could do, considering..."  
"S-So," Agent 6 said, trying to get rid his own redness from Cap'n's shenanigans, "Cap'n tells me you're considering training with me?" There was a bit of silence before Bic nodded slowly, chewing a mouthful. "Cool. Maybe we'll train tomorrow-"

"Aye lad, isn't splatfest tomorrow?" Cap'n interjected, taking a sip of of his tea. Agent 6 jumped a little in shock, having forgotten all about it.  
"Awh, crud! I almost forgot! But, wait, that means-"

The door burst open suddenly, grabbing the three's attention. "Gramps!," A black and pink-clad inkling called, strutting in happily. "We've brought groceries!" A white and green colored inkling female quietly walked in behind her, carrying a great amount of bags. As she set them down, both of them met eyes with everyone sitting at the table, eyes locking on Bic. Agent 6 facepalmed in advance, knowing what was coming.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GRAMPS! THERE'S AN OCTOLING! RIGHT! THERE!" Callie screamed, hiding behind Marie. Marie, wide eyed, quickly grabbed a lamp and threw it at Bic, who quickly ducked under the table with a scream. "KILL IT, KILL IT! AAAAAH!"

"CALLIE! MARIE! CALM DOWN!" Agent 6 yelled, standing in front of the table.  
"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! THERE'S A-"  
"Lass, we be fully aware of her bein' here. Yer actually in time fer breakfast. Why don'tcha come have a seat?" Cap'n calmly said, not missing a beat in taking another sip of his tea. Upon seeing Cap'n relaxed, the two instantly did the same, pulling up a seat at the table Bic slowly rose from with the help of Agent 6. After they fixed themselves a plate, Agent 6 went about, once again, telling Bic's story. 

* * *

"Ooooh. Why didn't you just say so? Geez, I'm sorry for freaking out at you, Bic. Totes unfresh of me." Callie said with an apologetic look. Marie fretted as well, rubbing the back of her head.  
"Yeah...sorry about the lamp..."

Bic laughed and shrugged it off with the wave of a hand. "O-Oh no, it's okay! I completely understand, after all...Octolings aren't always the kindest..." She laughed nervously. Callie got up, walking behind Bic and hugging her lightly from behind. Bic smiled, now feeling safe. "S-so, what are you guys doing here?" She asked, looking at Marie.

"We normally come visit gramps before a splatfest and on holidays!" Callie said, bringing her face close to Bic's.  
"And we bring him some food, since he can't really go back and forth to Inkopolis to shop for himself..." Callie said, calmly taking a sip of tea alongside Cap'n, who did the same.  
"Splatfest..?" Bic questioned, head tilted to the side a bit.  
"You've never seen a splatfest, that's right! Splatfest is this totally fresh time where all the inklings come out and play like, non-stop turf wars to defend their teams! Whoever has the most points at the end of the splatfest gets some awesome stuff, plus bragging rights! Even the losing team gets stuff, just not as much - almost like a consolation prize. But it's all in good fun, since Marie and I sing our hearts out all day in front of our fans! And there's fireworks and neon lights and great food and just an overall awesome time!" Callie said excitedly, watching Bic's eyes widen with excitement.

"Oh man! It sounds so fun! I...I wish I could go..." Bic said, happiness and excitement quickly dying down once she remembered she couldn't be seen. Callie saw this and frowned for a second, looking up at Marie. Marie rolled her eyes and nodded, making Callie grin and rub her cheek against Bic's.

"Well...We DO have an extra splatfest tee...You'd just have to come at night. Sure, Splatfest would be almost over and almost everyone'd be gone home but-"  
"R-really?! You'd do that for me?! OHMIGOSH!" Bic screamed, jumping out of her seat and immediately embracing Callie. Callie stood, shocked for a moment, before hugging Bic back and smiling widely again.  
"It's no biggie, right Marie?" Marie quietly nodded, taking another sip out of her cup. "See? We'll give the extra tee and wristband to 6 when he's at splatfest early tomorrow and he can bring it to you!"  
"Ahmygosh, thank you guys so much!" Bic screamed exitedly, crying tears of joy. Marie's eyes widened for only the splittest of seconds before softening again. Cap'n took notice, whispering to her.

 _"Ye be seein' why I couldn't separate the two now...This lass isn't like the others."_

Callie nodded, pouring both herself and Cap'n another cup of fresh tea. 

* * *

**(A/N:** Another filler! The next chappie will be the last filler before the plot continues, so enjoy it while you can~! Also, let me take the time to say that you all's reviews is what keeps me writing. Seriously, you all enjoying my story gives me life. I cry tears of joy everytime I check my email and get reviews of you guys enjoying reading this tale, and I highly appreciate every one of you. And yes, I am teasing you when it comes down to Ce-Ce's real name. That'll be revealed in about 2-3 chapters from now. ;D Excited? Don't forget to review, and thank you for reading my story! **)**


	11. Ch11 - Save the Last Dance

**(A/N:** Another day, another chapter. A few of you (not just in reviews, mind you) have tried to guess Ce-Ce's name...and so far no one is correct. ;D Keep guessing. Maybe if you get it right, you'll get a cameo! Or a picture of your inkling OC drawn by me, because I love you all like that. 3 Anywho, this will be the last filler chapter, as stated, unless you guys WANT more fluff, in which case just drop me a review saying so! I'd have no problem with writing another one. Without further ado, please, enjoy the chapter! **P.S.** I also noticed in the last chapter I typed that Callie was the one who poured the tea at the end; That is indeed a typo and I meant to put Marie's name there, in case anyone was confused. **)**

* * *

The day was done and now Cap'n and Bic waved the three young inklings off back home. As Agent 6, Callie and Marie walked back towards the kettle, Callie playfully punched Agent 6 in the shoulder. He hissed a bit, unexpecting it. While Marie silently smiled, he rubbed his shoulder, glaring at Callie. "What was that for?"  
"You sly dog you~ Was she the girl you were talking to me about?"  
"Y-yes..."  
"No wonder things are kinda complicated between you! You sure know how to pick 'em, huh?"  
"W-well...she kinda picked me, you know?"  
"Yeah, yeah, I get ya. Hey, just make sure you grab that tee from us later and don't bring her out until it's super late, okay? There's only so much we can do if she causes a panic."

Agent 6 nodded, fully understanding the gravity of what could be a _very_ bad situation. As they walked, Agent 6 noticed he still had the bags Milly gave him in his hands. "Crap! I almost forgot! I gotta give these to Bic, I'll catch you two later!" Callie and Marie nodded as they waved him off. They entered the kettle, leaving Agent 6 to rush back to the shack.

"Stay fresh, 6!" Callie yelled before disappearing.

Agent 6 knocked on the door yet again before opening it, announcing himself as he did. He saw Bic cleaning up the table's mess with a quiet hum alone - Cap'n must have retired for the night. Agent 6 huffed quietly before dropping the bags to his sides gently, going over to help Bic clean the mess that was left behind. Bic didn't quite notice him come in, and was a little spooked when he came in. "O-oh! Agent 6! I didn't see you there!"

"Ahaha, I figured you could use a hand..." He said with a small smile. The two continued to clean in silence, even washing up the dishes in synchronized harmony; Truly they were meant to be a team. After all was done and the dining area was clean once more, Agent 6 handed her the bags happily. "Here, Milly wanted you to have these...ah...she kinda found out that you were an Octoling.."

"Oh no! Did she freak out?! Oh no, oh no, oh no, I'm so, so, so sorry, I didn't mean for you to get in tro-"  
"Bic, Bic! Ahaha! Relax, alright? She didn't freak, in fact, she already knew when you walked in...we uh, kinda forgot about your clothes..."

Bic looked down and fretted, realizing that she was, indeed, still wearing her Octoling Army Armor. She began to remove it, making Agent 6 blush and wave his hands excitedly. "W-Wait! Don't do that while I'm in here!"

"...Why not?"  
"...What do you mean WHY NOT?! I'm a guy and..and.."  
"I used to shower with my team mates all the time...I didn't think being without armor was a big deal for Inklings. But I guess I'll have to get used to it."

Agent 6 fought the urge to tell her it was okay for her to be nude and gave her the bags, ushering her to the room she was staying in. He then heard a faint scream of joy from the other side of the now closed door.

"New clothes!"

He sat with a tired smile on his face, sitting against the wall across from her door as he waited for her. There were a few shuffling sounds before it got quiet- it seemed she had found what she was looking for. After a few silent moments, the door slowly opened to reveal Bic shyly sneaking out of the doorway. In her tentacles, which were now pulled back into a pony-tail, was a squid hairclip on the band that held them back. Her choice of clothing was a Berry Ski jacket that looked a bit too big on her, but not baggily so, which was cute in his opinion; especially after he realized it matched her eyes. On her feet were a pair of purple sea slugs -he was glad she could fit them. She smiled, giving a little twirl in front of him as he clapped.

"I'm glad you can fit it! What do you think?"  
"These were my favorite~ Can I really keep them..?"  
"Yeah, Milly wanted to give them to you."  
"W-wow...Please thank her for me, Agent 6..." Bic said, almost tearing up from happiness.

Agent 6 sighed happily, giving Bic a smile as he rose from the floor. "Will do. Well, I'll be going, now... It's getting super dark and I have to wake up early for splatfest. You won't be able to do any turf wars, but I'll bring you your tee in the evening, alright?" Bic happily nodded, still looking at her clothes in different angles. As he walked down the hall, Bic quietly called to him, making him turn around.

"Thank you so much~! See you tomorrow, Agent 6!" 

* * *

"So, how'd she like the clothes, Ce-Ce?" Milly asked, cleaning out a glass with a white cloth.  
"She loved them, Thank you, Milly."  
"Awh, it's no big deal. Ya'll can pay me back by lettin' me see some babies~"

Agent 6 choked on his coffee, making her laugh and set down the freshly cleaned and polished mug. As she got the broom and dust pan from the back, he spitefully wiped his mouth. "That's not funny, Milly!"

"Awh, lighten' up, Ce-Ce. We both know yer crushin' hard. An' she's got a hankerin' for ya too. Why not just ask 'er out?"  
"It's...it's not that easy, Milly.."  
"Yer takin' 'er ta Splatfest, right?"  
"Right."  
"An' do Callie an' Marie know?"  
"W-well, yeah..."  
"Ah mean about _her_." Milly said, raising an unseen eyebrow as she swept.  
"Oh, yeah...they came by Cap'n's shack and kinda freaked out at first, but were okay. They're gonna give her an extra tee so she can see the sights and stuff tomorrow."

Milly gave an all-knowing smile, knowing what the two were planning for Agent 6 and Bic. She said nothing, continuing her sweeping pattern underneath all the empty, cleaned tables. All of them were clean and empty except one, in the back, particularly. "Jericho, yer still here?"

The young inkling male rose from his cup of coffee and stared at Milly, not offering any conversation before looking over to Agent 6, who simply waved. He rolled his eyes at this and went back to sipping his drink. "Well, awhright then...but don't stay too late. Ah don't want me or you ta be gettin' any earfuls, ya hear?" A simple nod from the child was enough for the bar tending inkling to move on. Agent 6 wondered who that kid was, always sitting in the Cafe at all times of the day, but he didn't say too much to strangers, just fairly rude gestures, which didn't bring him much attention.

Milly finished her task, returning the broom and dustpan to the closet before standing behind the bar across from Agent 6, who'd finished his coffee. "So. Ahm gonna assume ah'm gonna be wipin' the floor with ya tomorrow at splatfest?"

Agent 6 simply laughed, playfully shaking his fist at her. "Yeah, right! In your dreams, coffee girl."  
"Haha! Haven't heard that 'un in a while from ya, Ce-Ce. Ah guess it's time ta head on out, needin' rest an' all." Milly said before clearing her throat. The sudden sound made the small inkling in the back shift before leaving his seat and walking over to Milly's side. "Do ya want me ta walk ya back home, Jericho?"

"...No, I'll be fine."

There was a slight pause before the small child hugged Milly, then walked out of the cafe with a small brown bag.

"That there's Jericho. He's a real sweet kid with a real thorny outside. A real bit 'a work, but he means well.", Milly explained, taking off her apron. Agent 6 nodded, tossing his to-go cup into the trash bin near the door. The lights were dimmed, doors were locked and Milly had gotten her jacket from the back as the two headed out the front door. She locked it, entering a code in the hidden panel beside the sliding doors before the two walked along side each other towards the apartments down the block.

"Ah bet ya can't wait ta see Bic in 'at Splatfest tee, 'uh Ce-Ce?" Milly teased, elbowing him in the shoulder. He nervously laughed, shrugging her off with a heated face.  
"Sh-shut up, Milly...geez.."

* * *

Bic anxiously waited near the door like an excited puppy - The sun had came and went, now being gone on the horizon as the stars shone in the night sky. She jumped up and down in time with the faint music she could hear coming from Inkopolis - she'd been listening all day, hyped on hearing it in person. Cap'n sipped a cup of tea, not being able to help himself from laughing at the young Octoling; He'd begun to remember how he used to be in his old splatfest days.

Bic looked out the window, seeing something pop out of the kettle a little bit away from the shack and squee'd with glee. "Eeee! He's here, Cap'n!"  
"Aye, lass. Ye seem excited fer yer date."

Bic paused at this, not having thought of it as a date before now. She calmed down a little, a faint blush starting to make itself evident before the doorknob turned. Agent 6 walked inside for all of two footsteps before he was excitedly pounced upon by a happy Bic. "Aaaah, you're finally here! Where is it?"

"H-here," Agent 6 said weakly, holding up a small bag. "Go put it on-" With another scream, she was gone back into her room, leaving Agent 6 on the floor and Cap'n to erupt with laughter. He got up, dusting off his tee as Cap'n wiped a bit of tears from his eyes, finally able to speak.

"Hoo! That one's got a bit of spunk in 'er, eh lad? Aye, she's been waitin' all day fer ye, not stopin' her talk of splatfest - She be excited."  
"I would have never have guessed," Agent 6 said sarcastically. Bic opened the door, now dressed in a splatfest tee that hugged her body in the most un-modest of ways, the cap he'd given her to hid her tentacles and a pair of Purple Sea-Slugs that matched the tee's color. She beamed and ran for the door, grabbing Agent 6's hand and rushing him out. He could barely say anything more to Cap'n, who simply waved the two away.

The door slammed, leaving Cap'n to once again sip his tea. He quietly swore that these kids were going to keep his ink pressure ink-redibly high.

* * *

After exiting the kettle, Bic could now hear the Squid Sisters in vivid sound, being right behind the trucks they stood on. The music was pumping, allowing her to feel the vibrations of each word and thump of bass down to her core. She smiled wide at this feeling, looking up to the night sky- there were colored lights that seemed to dance from right off the streets into the air, only to be met with purple and red fireworks that were being drowned out by Callie and Marie's singing. There were few squids left partying in the streets, which made her nervous and unsure about stepping out; That changed when Agent 6 held her hand and lead her out into the open street in front of the trucks.

From there, she could see lit billboards with several hand-drawn advertisements for the teams that were competing, as well as her two newest friends, Callie and Marie. As they sang and danced, Bic couldn't help but shake and dance along to the beat, making Agent 6 follow along. Callie was the first to spot the two, giving Marie a look and pointing into the crowd at them with a tentacle. As the other spotted them, she gave a small smile, knowing what to do now. The song continued, getting everyone's blood pumping and the small amount of squid's bodies jumping. As the song pulled to a close, however, the music died down and so too did the lights. Everyone in Inkopolis knew that this meant the splatfest was coming to a close, and so a good amount of the squids left, leaving a few couples. Bic looked around and saw that the squid that were left were now pairing off as the music got slower, into an almost relaxing tone.

Callie and Marie now sat on top of the trucks, slowly singing in harmony and rocking their heads back and fourth, almost like they were in a trance. Agent 6 blushed once he realized what they were doing- it was a slow love song! Those little shits! He looked Callie dead in the eyes - she returned his gaze and winked at him, shifting her eyes over to Bic as if she was telling him something; he already knew what it was. He sighed, getting close to an unsuspecting Bic before holding one of her hands. She questionably looked at him as he bowed his head.

"Bic...may I have this dance?"

She blushed as well, shaking her head. "I-I've never danced with anyone before..."  
"That's okay. Here, let me show you. First, put your hands on my shoulders, like this-" He explained as he moved her hands there. He then placed his hands on her hips, which made her jump slightly. From there, he moved his feet slowly, leading her to do the same. Before she knew it, they were now dancing in time to the soothing melody to the twins' voices. Callie had to hold back a squeal as she watched the two lovingly - matchmaking was one of her secret favorite things to do, and Marie, who was in on it, knew it. They spectated, providing soft tunes to dance to as the two below seemed to melt into their own little world.

Bic had forgotten where they were, what she was, or anything of the sort...all she knew was that she was there with him, and it felt like she was in heaven. His embrace was so warm yet again, as she'd been remembering, as they shifted back and forth, she absentmindedly rested her head on his left shoulder. He smiled, nuzzling her cheek softly as they went on. The song slowly drifted into a close, the lights now off in the plaza. In the dark of the night, only the streetlights illuminated the square. Bic and Agent 6 separated slightly, now silently and lovingly staring into each other's eyes. His hands had shifted from her hips to both her lower back and the back of her head, as hers had found their way around his neck comfortably. Their faces slowly got closer to one another, eyes closing as it seemed to all come so naturally before their lips ghosted over each other-

"Hey, Ce-Ce, Bic!"

They jumped apart, heavy blushes on both of their faces as Milly ran up to the two. She huffed, hands on her knees as she tried to gather her breath. Once she did, she lifted her head to see the two facing opposite directions, utterly embarrassed. "Oooooou~" She quietly cooed, making the two deepen in redness.

"Sh-SHUT UP, MILLY!" 

* * *

Milly and Agent 6 waved goodbye to Bic as she went back into the kettle to Cap'n's shack, leaving the two behind. As soon as she was out of earshot, Agent 6 punched Milly in the arm lightly. "Ah! What wassat fer, Ce-Ce?!"

"Geez! Way to ruin a moment, Mills! I was gonna..."  
"Gonna _smooch_ her?"  
"Gah! Why do I even bother with you!"  
"Because who else is gonna watch after you kids?"  
"I'm only two years younger than you!"  
"Still a kid~"

Agent 6 huffed as the two separated ways for the night. As he headed back to his apartment, there was only one thought in his mind that he and Bic thought of at the exact same time that night.

 _'Cod dammit, Milly...'_

* * *

 **(A/N:** Ain't I a stinker? And a cock block? I know, I know, I should be shot. In the knee. But anyway, depending on if you guys may like it or not, I may do a separate story just dedicated to Bic x Agent 6 fluff [and also other characters and fluff/shenanigans as well?]. Until then, the plot shall advance with the next chapter and it is **juicy.** Just know that squit goes down in the next chapter, and it's NOT gonna be pretty. So enjoy this slice of heaven while you can, Bic! Once again, I'd like to thank you all for reading my story, and as always, please review and tell me how I'm doing! It's always very appreciated (including you, DimensionWisher. ;P Keep guessing! ) and do look forward to the drama packed next chapter! **)**


	12. Ch12 - A Slap In The Face

**(A/N:** Alright, Ladies and GentleSquids! Back to our normal programming! Please enjoy the chapter! Some of you might not. ;P **)**

* * *

Today was a new day; Agent 6 had already arrived at Cap'n's shack, and the trio were now out back on the asphalt in the bright sun. "Alright the both of ye," Cap'n started, adjusting himself on his cane. "Ye had a good bit of vacation, but now it's time the both of ye kiddies got back to work! Bic, it's time we did yer trainin'." Bic simply nodded, a serious expression on her face. "Alrighty then. Lad, I need ye to first make a puddle 'o ink for her." Agent 6 complied, using two burst bombs to create a decent sized pool of ink. Cap'n nodded in approval before continuing, "Alright lass, time to get yer hands dirty - dip 'em on in."

Bic hesitantly knelt beside the pool, inspecting it's purple shine and taking note of the bomb's range. She bent over, placing her palms first into the ink slowly. She winced at first, then cringed, baring her teeth as she went deeper - it wasn't pleasant for her, but the beating she still had fresh in the back of her mind made this amount of pain a cake walk. "Looks like ye be doin' fine...Go further, lass." Bic nodded, trusting Cap'n and pushing herself further up until her shoulders and chin met the ink pool. Her arms now felt like they were burning, stinging at that, almost like she could feel them being dissolved, but she mentally held on, which Cap'n noticed.

"Alright lass, bring 'er up. Now I want ye to stick yer legs in fer a dip."  
"Cap'n, I don't think she can-"  
"Quiet lad! I'm testin' somethin'."

With another trusting nod, Bic withdrew her arms and sat, swinging her legs into the ink with a determined force. Cap'n pointed to her arms with his cane quietly, whispering to Agent 6- "Look lad...it be absorbin' mighty quick. This trainin' might go quicker than I'd thought..."

* * *

A lone octoling stood in front of a large screen that illuminated the dark room in which it rested. "Octavio sir," The octoling spoke, "Number 81C escaped a short while ago with an Inkling. And what's worse, one of our commanders, Unagi, was killed by her hand, sir." Octavio gave out a small evil chuckle, keeping his eyes closed and tentacles crossed.

"She's just like her old man...Perfect. Prepare my ship at once." The octoling on the other side of the screen saluted.

"Sir, yes sir!"

* * *

"That be enough, kiddies. It took ye long enough, but we've finally hit the jackpot!" Cap'n said, turning to face the duo, who were no where to be seen. No where, that is, until he took a quick look down and smiled beneath his beard, noticing a rather large pool of ink. "Ye don't have to show off, lass!", he laughed proudly. The two re-emerged, grins on both their faces. They laughed, hugging in celebration of Bic's achievement. "Looks like ye got a little closer than sharin' some ink, if ye be askin' me..." Cap'n said in a smug manner, making the two brake their hug and blush profusely. "Now listen lass. Ye can only tolerate ink, but _**only**_ _Agent 6's_ ink, so don't go thinkin' ye can go off turf warin' in Cod mode. Got it?" Cap'n warned, waving his cane at Bic in a foreboding fashion.

"Yes, Cap'n!" Bic saluted playfully.  
"Alright. I'll be headin' on in fer bed...this old squid's bones have had enough fer today. See you kiddies tomorrow, first thing, fer a mission. Don't be too late gettin' in fer bed yerselves for the night." After waving him off, Agent 6 turned to Bic with a small smile.

"So...Nervous?" He asked, taking a seat on a ledge. Bic followed suit.  
"Of course...But I think we'll be fine if we stick together. After all, Cap'n seems to think we make a perfect team, right?" She said confidently.  
"R-right..." Agent 6 agreed nervously as his blush crept back onto him slowly. They both looked up to the starry night sky quietly, staring into its beautiful colors. After a few minutes of silence, Bic sighed, making Agent 6 turn to her in concern.

"Something wrong?"  
"N-no...It's just...I'm not used to seeing the sky like this...it's so beautiful.." She whispered, not being able to look away.  
" _Like you..."  
_ "What was that?"  
"N-Nothing! Go on, Bic."  
"Well," Bic continued, pointing to the stars. "Those...they're so shiny, and even in different colors and sizes! Simulations don't do any of the things I've seen and experienced any justice and, to be honest, part of that..." She finally looked away, only to turn to Agent 6 with tears in her eyes and place a hand on his- "Is all because of you..."

Agent 6 smiled a humble smile, taking her hand in both of his. "I'll be honest Bic...things have been way different since we met. I...I couldn't stop thinking about you, wondering when I was gonna see you again...I couldn't stop having these dreams of you, as weird as it is, I know..." He pushed his glasses back onto his nose - something, Bic learned, he did when was extremely nervous - before continuing. "What I'm trying to say is...Bic...I lo..." He trailed off, staring deep into her fixated eyes. The stars shone like wet, sun kissed diamonds in the reflection of those lovely fuchsia irises, distracting him for a split moment.

"Agent 6...?" Bic whispered, noticing his hesitation.

He shook his head violently, remembering where he was all of a sudden, once again a breath away from each other. He quickly pulled back, waving his hands in front of him dismissively. "I-it's nothing-", He scrambled to his feet, backing away and leaving Bic confused and a bit saddened. "I'll just tell you tomorrow, okay? L-later!" And with that, he lept into the kettle, absconding before Bic could even utter another word to him.

"O-oh...okay..." Bic whispered, getting up and dusting her backside off. She stared at the kettle and sighed, wiping her face.

 _"See you tomorrow, Agent 6..."_

* * *

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" Agent 6 screamed from his apartment. "Scrod clammit!" He punched the wall closest to him, putting a decent dent in it. "Are you fucking squidding me?! She was RIGHT THERE and you STILL couldn't just spit it out?! You COWARD!" He continued to berate and belittle himself, throwing unfortunate objects that were in his proximity across the room until there was nothing left. Once he realized he was out of ammo, he grunted, falling back onto his bed. He turned, burying his face into his sheets in an attempt to calm himself. It worked, for in a few minutes he emerged, fit subsiding, to face the ceiling with an angry expression. He took off his glasses and placed them onto his nightstand before he angrily ran his hand down his face.

"It has to be tomorrow..." He said to himself. "I'll tell her tomorrow, for sure. No pussying out..." He whispered as he dug into his sheets, covering himself. "Tomorrow..." He repeated quietly, yawning before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

On the other side of the spectrum, Bic was having a tough time getting to sleep. She sat up in bed with a sorrowful sigh, not being able to even sleep a wink tonight. She checked the alarm clock that Cap'n had found lying around for the time - 4:18 A.M. Yep, there was no way she was going to get good sleep tonight. With a very tired yawn, Bic swung her legs off the bed, got up and headed to the kitchen. Maybe a nice warm glass of milk will help...

With the gentle closing of the refrigerator door, Bic had a cup of milk. Now to just warm it up...Just as she went to reach for it on the counter-top, she noticed there was something off about it...She inspected it carefully; Was it...moving? Sure enough, the liquid inside the cup was moving - like a slight vibration to be exact. The longer she watched it, the more violently it shook until the whole cup moved its way to the edge of the counter-top and fell onto the floor. By then, the whole shack was shaking, making Bic hold onto the counter for balance as Cap'n Cuttlefish ran into the kitchen.

"What in the name 'a Davy Jones' locker is goin' on, lass?!"

Bic opened her mouth to respond, but Cap'n's question was instead answered in the form of a giant metal fist slamming through the roof, separating the two. After the debris settled, Bic coughed violently as she rose from a few fallen planks of wood. "C-Cap'n! Can you hear me?! Are you okay?!" She called out, worried. A few muffled coughs from the other side of the mess that was made told her that, at least, Cap'n was alive. Bic stood and was about to call again, but another fist intruded into their home, this time snatching Cap'n Cuttlefish and making Bic scream at the top of her lungs. "CAP'N! NO!"

 **"GAHAHAHAHA! Nice work leading me here, Bic!"**

She quickly snapped her head up and over to the source of the voice, instantly recognizing it. It was Octavio, in his ship, with Cap'n in in his left massive fist. **"Brilliant work my child. Playing them like a harp? You did well!"  
** "What?! No- What are you-"  
"Bic," Cap'n called in disbelief, "Ye did this, lass?! How could ye! We trusted ye!"

Her heart sank as she heard those words come from him; They simply weren't true! Cap'n growled and wiggled feverishly - just enough to reach the readio he always kept in his pocket. "Lad! Lad! Come in! Get to Octo Valley as soon as ye can, Lad! Octavio's come an' Bic's pulled a wool over our eyes! She's betrayed us and led 'im straight to us, laddie!"  
"N-no!" Bic screamed, trying to get him to stop as she shed heartbroken tears. He didn't understand!

 **"That's enough outta you, you've said all I've needed you to."** Octavio demanded as he scratched a record with his kelp. The fist holding Cap'n tightened and, to Bic's horror, a loud cracking sound before Cap'n went silent and limp in his grasp.

"No! Let him go, don't kill him!"  
 **"GAHAHA! Why do that when I can use him as bait? You've done well, my princess."  
** "H-How the hell did you even find me?!"  
 **"AHAHA! What, did ya think that pretty little barcode on your arm was just a fresh tattoo?! Fool! I knew you'd lead me to them eventually!"** Bic's pupils shrank in horror.  
"N-no...no!"  
 **"Yes. Yes! YES! Now JOIN ME, PRINCESS!"  
** "P-princess?!" Bic choked out, now crying endlessly.  
 **"That's right - "** Octavio lowered the other fist that didn't have Cap'n in it to Bic's level. **"BIC! I AM YOUR FATHER!"  
** "N-no! You LIAR! You're not-! Mom said that MY dad left us!"  
 **"And I did. To rule all the Octarians!"  
** "St-stop it!" Bic cried, not believing what she was hearing. The fist next to her now opened, revealing something small and shiny in relative size.  
 **"Go on. Here's your proof."**

With tears still in her eyes, face blazing hot, Bic hesitantly picked up what turned out to be a framed picture...she'd seen this before...The tears welled in her eyes even more now when she realized - it was the same picture her mother kept in their home, but her mother's had a side that was ripped off...In that old, weathered picture was indeed her own mother, but younger and happily smiling with...a younger Octavio. Together, they held a small octo with a mole on one of the tentacles...She rubbed the mole on the shoulder in disbelief, the portrait now shaking in her trembling hand.

 **"Princess. I forced you to join my army to condition you until you were fit to rule. Now, we can rule together...Join me."  
** "You..YOU STOLE ME AWAY FROM MOM!"  
 **"Because I knew she'd make you soft, and now LOOK AT YOU! PLAYING AROUND WITH INKLINGS? YOU WERE BECOMING EXACTLY WHAT I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO BE."  
** "WHAT?! HUMBLE?! HAVING SOME HUMILITY?!" Bic spat back, gritting her teeth. "Mommy showed me love, affection and time...Something you never did, you son of a BITCH!"  
 **" Ouch. Who taught you that kind of language? I'm hurt, really. But if you join me, we can spend all the loving family time you'd like as we enslave and decimate the inkling race, my little one."  
**"I'll **never** join you if it means hurting my friends!" She exclaimed, slinging the portrait with full force at him. It bounced off the glass that protected Octavio, shattering as it hit the asphalt below.

Octavio frowned before he bellowed with laughter, flying away. **"Friends?! Let's see how friendly they are when you led me to their demise! You'll join me once your 'friends' have all left you high and dry like SEAWEED!"  
**  
Bic swore under her breath, kicking some debris with her bare foot. She didn't bother to give chase, as she knew she couldn't catch up to a ship on foot. She paced back and forth, trying to think of a way to get Cap'n back safely. Bic quickly halted this pace as her bare foot touched a bit of broken glass. She quietly picked up the picture, her anger turning into sadness and confusion as she dropped down to her knees and started to sob quietly.

" _Mom...Why didn't you tell me...?_ " She asked the portrait quietly. She stared at her young mother for a while before sighing and folding the picture carefully, sliding it into her bodysuit before looking up at the sky - it was almost sun up.

* * *

Bic waited, sitting in the debris of what used to be Cap'n's shack for hours in deep thought, now fully dressed. Hurried footsteps snapped her out of her thoughts as Agent 6 came running from the kettle, stopping when he saw the remains of Cap'n's base. Bic gave a relieved sigh, running up and hugging him as he stayed silent.

"I'm so glad you're finally here! Octavio came and wrecked everything, and then he took Cap'n! He said he's gonna use him as bait, so I came up with a plan or two to save...him...erm... _A-Agent 6_..?" She paused, noticing he'd yet to return her embrace as he often did. Behind his glasses, he gave her an icy cold, emotionless stare, shoving her off of him and onto the asphalt. Bic was taken aback, broken-heartedly looking into his now hate-filled eyes as he pulled out an inkzooka - she couldn't handle that much of his ink at once, and they both knew it. She back up as he silently pointed it at her. "A-agent 6...p-please...I didn't-"

"Save it," He spat angrily, "I heard everything I need to know from Cap'n."  
"N-no! It's not like that! Please, I swear, I didn't know he could find me!" He clicked the inkzooka, removing the safety.  
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't splatter you all over the concrete right here, right now."

Bic's eyes grew wide with fear as tears streamed down her face at full speed before she put her head down in defeat. She heard the cocking of the inkzooka and flinched, keeping her eyes tightly shut as her tears fell onto the hot asphalt. She expected pain, but after a while of clenching her eyes and steeling her nerves for it, it never came. The inkzooka was instead thrown to her side with an angry expletive from Agent 6. She lifted her head to see him stomping away. Bic quickly took this chance to rise to her feet to follow him, but was shot down as he instantly withdrew his hero shot.

"Don't. You saved my life, so now I'm letting you keep yours...And to think that I... _I loved_...UGH! JUST STAY THE **FUCK** AWAY FROM ME!" He screamed. After re-holstering his gun, he ran the opposite way, towards the kettle that hid the zapfish he'd failed to retrieve - the last one he needed to power the area to finally take on Octavio. Bic sat and stared helplessly, sobbing uncontrollably. Though she'd been spared, she wished that she hadn't been. Octavio was right - they abandoned her, and it was all her fault. She couldn't go home, she couldn't stay here and lastly, no one was on her side anymore.

 _She was all alone._

* * *

 **(A/N:** Shit, meet fan. ***BRRRRZZZT*** What, did you think this was gonna be some kind of fairy tale? Pft, you wish, kid. What'll happen in the next chapter? I won't say, but I'll give you this: Someone's guessed Agent 6's name! It'll be revealed in the next chapter, along with more shit-hitting-the-fan-ness! As always, thank you all for taking the time to read my tale, and don't forget to leave me your reviews! They give me life. 3 **)**


	13. Ch13 - Sloppy Makeouts

**(A/N:** Wow, a lot of you were fairly upset by that last chapter. Not angry upset, but like in a 'OH NO, POOR BIC' fashion. And I love it. And now, to kill her in this chapter! ...Nah, I'm just messin' with ya. But I will more than likely change the rating for this story to M if the language continues the way it has. But there's no lemons in this story...but the sequel...I've said too much. That being said, enjoy this cha- WAIT. Agent 6's name gets revealed here, right? Right. Awesome. Enjoy! **)**

* * *

Agent 6 wiped a single tear that threatened to leave his eye as he ran through the area. He hastily jumped over walls, rushed past enemies without even trying to shoot at them, inking wherever he could as his mind was unwillingly clouded with thoughts of Bic. How could she...she betrayed Cap'n...Betrayed Him...after everything they went through, it couldn't be true, but it damn sure seemed that way. He growled, wiping his hot face onto his sleeve as he hustled. _'I should have known...If she could betray and shoot another Octoling in the back, of course she'd have no problem with hurting us...with hurting me! No...she wouldn't have hung around...unless she was trying to kill me so Octavio didn't have to get his slimy tentacles dirty! But...that's not like her! ...Is it?!'_ With that thought, Agent 6 slammed a fist angrily into the wall he hid behind, grinding his teeth as the tears he held back were finally allowed to flow freely down his face. His glasses became foggy as he held his hands up to his head in frustration.

"I...I can't believe this shit...I can't believe I fell for it...", he choked out to himself. He wiped his wet face onto his shirt sleeve again before running out, dodging a shot from an Octosniper. Agent 6 rolled a bomb out to distract it, splattering it in the back the moment its attention was drawn away. A faint humming sound was heard shortly before a huge vortex of magenta ink expanded behind him. As he lept out of the way, another Octosniper shot at him, catching his left arm. He hit the ground with a hiss, quickly rolling onto his feet before running into an area he couldn't be seen by that pesky Octostriker.

Fangs bared, he took his right arm and inspected it - dark purple ink oozed out of a bullet sized hole in his lower arm. Sure, it'd heal once he left Octo Valley, but that didn't stop it from hurting like hell. "Cod fucking damn it...", He whispered, tearing off a little cloth from the bottom of his shirt. He tied it around the wound, not wanting it to be exposed or getting infected, making him cringe and hiss again in a bit of pain. Once he finished, he regained himself before bouncing back onto the battlefield, fueled solely by his emotions. He splattered the Octosniper that hit him out of pure rage and hatred, feeling a little happy after ending its life. Before he even realized it was there, another fired at him and missed his body, but hit his gun, making it fall and slide a good distance away from him.

Almost as fast as it fired another shot aimed right for him, he was being slam-tackled to the ground by a heavy force. He felt himself being rolled for a second before he was able to register what happened in that VERY short amount of time. He blinked for a few seconds before instantly frowning. "Bic?! Ugh!", he started, pushing himself away from her. "Didn't I tell you to stay the **hell** away from me?!"

"Agent 6, please! You have to-"  
"I don't have to do SQUIT but fix this mess you made!"  
Bic held back tears as she continued, hands balled into determined fists. "A-Agent 6, we NEED to work together...please."

"Fuck that! I spent so long thinking that we...that _I_ could...! GRAH!" He finally snapped, grabbing Bic by the collar of her top as he slammed her into a wall, screaming into her face. "Why did you come here, huh?! Cap'n getting Cap'napped wasn't enough for you?! You wanna make sure I fail?!"

"N-No! I came to help you! P-please! How can I make you understa-ha-hand?!" Bic screamed, tears now streaming down her face. Agent 6 stared into her eyes quietly as his fierce, angry expression slowly dissipated.

"...Why...", He started, releasing his grip on her, "Why can't you just...leave me alone."  
"B-because...I...I..." Bic stuttered, slowly pulling him into a tight embrace. "I...I love you, Agent 6...and...I need you! So, please-"

Bic was instantly cut off by him wrapping his arms around her with a little bit more force than she was used to, a few tears of his own staining her shirt. There they stood, in silence, embracing one another as they wept for each other. It was the most comforting thing for the both of them, as neither wanted it to end...but there was business to attend to. Bic pulled away, staring into Agent 6's fogged up glasses. From behind the lenses, he returned her gaze. "I'm sorry...true this is all my fault, but I'd never betray Cap'n..and especially not you, Agent-"

"Cecil."  
"...Wh-"  
"My name. It's...it's Cecil."  
"Cecil..." Bic repeated with a warm smile, "It's a very nice name."

He blushed, then firmly grabbed Bic's shoulders, pushing her further into the asphalt wall. A subtle, quiet gasp left her before he brought his face to hers, gently kissing her without anymore hesitation; her eyes grew wide before slowly closing. Her arms instinctively folded behind his neck; his moved from her shoulders and tenderly slid down to her waist as the two of them got used to the other's taste. He moved her body from the wall, pulling her closer to him as his hands moved from her sides to the back of her head and the small of her back, allowing them to deepen their passionate kiss. A solid minute passed, and in between them were shared muffled moans and whimpers as they shared this moment. They separated, a thin trail of saliva shared between them, as they panted out, having lost their breath collectively. A smile was shared between them as they lovingly embraced each other. Bic leaned in for another, but was reluctantly rejected by Agent 6's negative head shake.

"As much as I'd like to...we gotta get outta here."  
"O-oh...right.." Bic whispered, still flushed. Agent 6 placed a finger underneath her chin, bringing her gaze back to his as he offered her a smile.  
"I'm...I'm sorry I didn't believe you...it's just that Cap'n...he sounded so.."  
"It's okay...daddy can be a real asshole sometimes..."  
"Yeah, I gue- Wait, Daddy?!"  
"It's...a long story. But like you said, we gotta go."

With a synchronized nod, the two rushed out, sprinting across the area. The nearby Octosniper focused on Bic, being the closest. It seemed shocked for a moment, allowing her to grab Agent 3's hero shot and throw it to him. "Hey, Ugly!" Agent 6 yelled from behind the Octosniper. It snapped around and froze when its eyes met with the barrel of his hero shot. "Lookin' for me?" He smugly asked, splattering it without an answer. Bic and Agent 6 shared another smile, taking the jump pad they'd unlocked to super jump to the Octostriker's ship. Surprised to see them, it lept out of its pool of ink and flew about in front of them.

"Well, well, well...If it ain't'at inklin' scum an'...Eh-81C?! Wh-What're ya-AHRM," The Octosniper coughed, regaining its composure-"Whateva', da both 'a ya got pretty bounties on ya heads! C'mere, daddy needs a new house in _Flounder Heights_!" With that, it called in reinforcements - Octobombers - and laughed as it flew backwards away from the two. "Alright boys! Bring me 81C alive. I don't care 'bout that scum!"

Agent 6 and Bic both bared their teeth, both running towards the Octostriker. Bombs were flung left and right, exploding around Agent 6, who was protected By Bic's ability to absorb the ink blasts with no problem, being of Octarian ink. One by one, they splattered Octobombers while dodging the Striker's blasts. As they got closer and slayed more of it's henchmen, it got fairly pissed. "H-HOLD STILL AND DIE!"

"In your dreams!" Bic called. They both ran, Bic in front, as the two got closer. It flew higher in an attempt to get out of reach; No dice. Bic got just close enough, giving Agent 6 a look that he nodded to and reached behind him, before stopping and holding her hands cupped near her midsection. In the blink of an eye, Agent 6 caught up to her, stepping on her hands and she hurled him upward towards the striker. It had a grim look on its face, staring him right in the eye as Agent 6 gave a smug smile, firing the hidden inkzooka right into the Striker's body, splattering him.

He landed with the assistance of Bic as they shared a victory high-five, laughing. "Ahaha! We really do work well as a team!"

"I'll say, and did you see the look on his face when you pulled out that inkzooka? Priceless!"  
"Yeah!"

They looked about, the ship now covered in Agent 6's ink as the zapfish rested in the center. They walked up to it and stared into it's electric field before Agent 6 handed Bic his hero shot. "Wanna do the honors?"

Bic nodded, accepting the weapon and firing ink at the force field until it finally shattered, allowing the two to collect it.

"Now to go and kick Octavio's ass...after another make out session."

Bic simply giggled.

* * *

 **(A/N:** Short chapter is short! I hope you enjoyed, since I kinda wrote this one without my book. n ' I'll need to write more in my book, since I've been uploading further than I've written in my actual notebook, so forgive me if this chapter seemed rushed. As always, thank you for taking time and reading my story, and don't forget to review! See you all next chapter! **)**


	14. Interlude

Aloha everyone! Though this isn't a chapter, I wanted to update you all to let you know that this story is far from dead, and so am I! Things happened in my life that made me unable to write or upload things for a long while, heck, even as you read this, I'm inputting this with my smartphone.

First off, Expect a new chapter tomorrow, as I finally get internet then! Huzzah!

Secondly, I want to once again thank you all for sticking by me and this story. I know you may be a little disappointed with the wait, but it was ultimately something I could not control. For those who have been patiently waiting, thank you. For those who recently joined in, thank you as well, and welcome! Do look forward to another great chapter!

Lastly, I'd like to say that since we're in the last few chapters of this story, there WILL BE A SEQUEL! I've already planned and written out it's plot, and I must say there's more suprises to come! Besides that sequel, I will also be writing about two more stories for splatoon before I decide on my next move.

Once again, thank you all. Your reviews, private messages and kindness has made this story partially what it is. I couldn't have done it all without your encouraging words.

Take care and Stay Fresh!

\- LuckyMiltank


	15. Ch14- Explosive Revelation

**(A/N:** Not gonna lie, I was a bit lazy with writing this, seeing as today has been a long day for me. But I promised you all a chapter, and I don't go back on promises. So, Enjoy! **)**

* * *

"So, let me get this straight-", Agent 6 spoke, hooking up the zapfish to power the launchpad. "First, they inject you with a chip,"  
"Mhm.", Bic confirmed, holding a ladder steady for him.  
"Then they let you go, knowing somehow that we'd meet up again,"  
"Yep."  
"Then Octo-Jerk, who's _**actually**_ your _dad_ , comes and does THAT SQUIT-", he turns carefully, pointing to the rubble that was once Cap'n's shack. "And Cap'naps Cuttlefish, leaving you behind-"  
"Mmm-hm."  
"All because you didn't want to join him.", He finished, finally done. The newly-powered up launch pad came to life with a quiet hum, the empty pool now slowly filling with ink as droplets surrounded the area.  
"Exactly!", Bic shouts, throwing her hands into the air.

Agent 6 sighs, wiping the sweat from his brow before turning, not realizing that the ladder was no longer being held, and climbing down the unsteady ladder. He slipped on the third step down, falling into Bic's already raised arms. She gave a quiet giggle as he scrambled to his feet, pushing his glasses up onto his face. After the moment passed, the two looked over to the launch pad anxiously, sharing a mutual silence as he grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers. She turned slightly to look at him, giving a nervous smile.

"You ready for this, Bic?" He asked, tightening his grip. With an audible gulp, she nodded, turning once more to the swirling launch pad that awaited them. Neither wanted to do this so soon, but they both knew it had to be done. For Cap'n. For Bic. For Cecil. For the Inklings who needed that zapfish. Now in their ink-diving forms, they leaped into the ink pool, launching them full speed into the air. They landed on a floating saucer that loomed over Octo-Valley that oddly had a kettle on top. With a synchronized nod, they entered. The kettle shook and gave a faint whistle before it began to spin quickly, zooming into orbit and transporting them away.

* * *

They re-emerged, finally at their destination, holding one another in a tight embrace with their eyes clenched shut. Once they opened their eyes, they both beheld the area surrounding them in both awe and fear of the surrounding area. What appeared to be robotic tentacles made of speakers floated in the dark vacuum of space, lying dormant for what looked like a long while with the dust still there. Agent 6 peered over a ledge, instantly regretting it.

"D-don't look down."  
"I never intended to." Bic stated, helping him to his feet. They turned, now facing the humongous Great Zapfish floating in midair, sparks dancing off of it's wide, long whiskers. Bic lit up, giving a big, toothy smile. "The zapfish! There it is!"  
"Yeah, too convenient. It's a trap."  
"Well, we already knew _that._ "  
"R-right...I was just testing you. Anyway, do you still have that thing I gave you?"  
"Yep yep!"  
"Alright. I'll go after Octo-Jerk, you go find and free Cap'n."  
"Will do!", Bic agreed, going to run off. A hand on her shoulder stopped her, turning her around to receive a quick, chaste kiss from Agent 6.  
"Good luck...And be careful. I...I love you, Bic."

With that, she smiled, planting a kiss on his blushing cheek. "I...Love you too, Cecil. You stay alive out there, okay?" With a nod, the two unwillingly separated, both with determination written on their features.

Agent 6 ran forward, being just in time to witness the Great Zapfish being sucked into the bottom of Octavio's ship. He snapped his attention upward, frowning behind his glasses. **"GAHAHA! You knew it was a trap, but came anyway? Stupid brat, I'll turn you into an 8-bit mixtape!"** , Octavio shouted as he placed his coral on the control panel. Agent 6 gritted his teeth, readying his weapon.

 _"...Bring it."_

* * *

Bic climbed the dormant tentacles, trying to get a vantage point. Just as she jumped from one to another, they suddenly activated, spinning and turning red. A faint scream left her as she grabbed onto the edge, trying not to fall into...into...what was it? She glanced down- nothing but darkness. She gulped, cawing her way back onto the area she'd almost fell from with a sigh of relief.

"Lass? Issat you?", came a familiar voice from the other side. Bic quickly ran around, happy to see him in one piece after everything that's happened. Besides being tied to a steak, he seemed to be in fine condition.  
"Cap'n! I'm here to rescue you!", She called, running closer.  
"Glad ta see ye, Lass!"  
"You...you are?"  
"Aye! Octavio isn't good with keepin' his plans secret! I'm sorry I ever doubted ye, Bic."  
"Don't worry about that, Cap'n! I'm bustin' you outta here!"

 _"No you're not."_

Bic turned, frowning once she found that there were five Octolings, all with kelp adorning their heads, now blocking her path out. They surrounded her, taking a circular approach to her and closing her in, leaving her no where to run. Bic frantically looked around, each of them cracking their knuckles as they knew their ink was useless on her. _"Well. Looks like we get to pummel the princess."_  
 _"All you had to do was join our Lord."_  
 _"You were the lucky one, being his offspring. And you just let it go? Stupid."_  
 _"What makes you think you're so special? Hm? You make all of Octarian kind sick."_

They all spoke, seemingly at once now, as they got even closer. Bic raised her shaky fists as she got into a fighting stance, already knowing how things were about to go down. Her brows furrowed, shaking the worst thoughts out of her mind as they got closer, almost within arms reach. If she had to go down, it was going to be with honor, with dignity- With a fight. Without any further hesitation, she lunged forward and decked one of the girls in the face, sending her flying off the edge of the floating tentacle with a surprising force. She smiled at her own achievement, only to be kicked in the back. She landed on her stomach, rolling over onto her back to avoid a stomp from another Octoling. She lept to her feet, punching another in the ribcage,then bringing her fist upward to connect with her jaw. Bic quickly retracted her fist and jabbed again, only to have it grabbed by a different Octoling. An excruciating pain shot through her arm as the octoling twisted her whole arm behind her, holding her still for two other Octolings to take heavy punches at her abdomen.

Bic gritted her teeth, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream, before spitting defiantly into one of their faces, sending them back a few steps as another stepped in to continue their job. Bic lifted her legs, kicking the two Octolings with gusto. The Octoling that subdued her quickly grabbed her tentacles, causing her to yelp in pain as she was thrown to the floor. There, she was being assaulted from both the left and the right - Two Octolings on each side, kicking her in the ribcage. This feeling of being beaten...Bic didn't like it. Not before, when Ruff and Tuff did the same fucking thing. With a growl and now fully pumped with adrenaline, Bic pushes herself off the cold metal, uppercutting one of the Octolings and making them fall on their back. Another ran to her, fists ready, but was cut short by Bic grabbing them by the body armor and throwing them off the tentacle - that makes two...Three left.

They didn't seem too tired, still ready to fight, but Bic was already at her limit. Being beaten and outnumbered as well as tired didn't make for a great set of odds. The previous Octoling that was on his back swept Bic from her feet, causing her to fall backward, near Cap'n's feet. He'd been watching helplessly the whole time, knowing she needed to do this on her own, but he still badly wished he could help. When they pulled out concealed weapons, Cap'n knew Bic wasn't going to stand a chance on her own.

"Lass! Don't forget yer trainin'! I don't train quitters or losers! You know what ye have ta do!"

Bic looked up, seeing the three too close for anyone's comfort with physical weapons instead of guns - mostly daggers and shivs. She frowned, thinking on how they weren't even fighting fair...Now she wouldn't feel as bad for using her secret weapon. Bic reached into her shirt, pulling out a small bomb. The three Octolings halted, seeing the object.

 _"You wouldn't."_

"...Try me.", Bic whispered. She pressed a small button on the side, detonating the bomb as it exploded in a furious blast of purple, leaving the area coated in the ink. Cap'n blinked, shaking the ink off his face as he looked around - nothing but ink and steel...Wait, no, there she is. Face down, in a pool of Purple ink. The other Octolings seemed to have been splattered, but Bic...was okay!

"Lass! Are ye crazy?! Even with the trainin', ye coulda krilled yerself usin' one a his bombs that close! And another thing-" As he continued to ramble and rant on, Bic slowly rose from the ink, severely hurt. From there, she limped over to Cap'n (Thank Cod she didn't have to go far...) and wordlessly loosens his ropes. "-An' you KNOW Agent 6 would be severely disappoin- Wait. AGENT 6! Ye gotta help 'im, lass! Go to him!"

With an exhausted sigh, Bic looks over to the scene below them- all that could be seen was Octavio's machine, punching at a small object as it seemed to fight back...So...far...away. "Are...are you gonna be okay here, Cap'n...?" Bic huffed out, clearly hurt. One thing was for sure, using that bomb really did take its toll on her. With a reassuring nod from Cap'n, Bic was off, limping towards Agent 6 and her father in the distance.

* * *

 **(A/N:** Geez this took longer to write than I'd hoped because there were a few...road humps in my day today. But you all didn't come here to hear about that. I thank you all once again for taking the time to read my story, and humbly ask you to continue to give me the motivation to continue. See you next chapter! **)**


	16. Author's Notes - Update

Aloha, Everyone. Milly here.

First I would like to say that, whoa, it's been like...a year? Holy squit. I'd like to thank all my followers both new (Extremely new, which is, for the most part, why I'm writing this) and old (I haven't forgotten about you all in the back!) for still being there. I still get messages every now and then on this story, and I'm so sorry to have let you all down with the lack of updates.

(This is when I tell you about everything that's been going on, so if you don't care about this part, I'll put it in italics so you'll know when it ends.)

 _Well, since I've stopped writing, a few things in my life happened to prevent me from wanting to write. My grandma passed, which left me devastated...And it left my family in a financial bind. We got evicted from our home that were in and even before the eviction, we had no power, no food and my mother's car had been repossessed, so I had really no way to get back and forth to work, and neither did she. So we were stuck for a while in a depressing loop. We managed to pull ourselves up with a little help from friends (Not my family, they didn't do shit and couldn't have cared less about what happened to my mother, my sister and I) and one in particular that I have to give a shout out to._

 _Boy Jav._

 _This dude has helped me so much within the last two years, I don't even know how to begin to thank him. He's a life saver and an incredible friend and I don't know what I would have done or where I would be right now if it wasn't for him. He's an author here on , so check him out sometime, yeah?_

 _Going back to the flashback here, We'd moved and thought things were going to be fine. Mother got two more jobs, I got two jobs as well, and my very first vehicle, and my sister even got a job. We thought things couldn't get better for us, but then my sister got into a car accident on her way to school. My car was totaled, but she got away with only one broken leg, which they fixed up in surgery the next day. But my car being totaled really hurt me putting in hours at work, and my mom ended up missing a VERY important job interview and, because of that, ultimately put us in YET ANOTHER financial bind...one we really couldn't get out of this time. During this whole fiasco, I wanted so badly to pick up my pen and write as passionately as I used to, but I couldn't...I couldn't give my all to these chapters, this story, and I wouldn't want to read a half-assed chapter, let alone let you all read one from me. So I just...didn't._

 _I was so depressed from everything that'd been happening around me because things kept seeming to cave in and I didn't see a way out...But somehow, with some more help from BoyJav and my mother's exboyfriend and male best friend, we managed to get out yet again, this time I got another car, which ended up getting banged up by one of my friends, James, but still operational, and got my own apartment. This is where I would have resumed the story, if shit didn't keep piling up._

 _We still barely had food, the a/c in our apartment has been broken ever since we moved in IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER NO LESS, and STILL has not been fixed to this day, the drainage pipe in the kitchen was clogged so we couldn't even wash dishes or our clothes without it flooding the kitchen, there were Wasps and yellow jackets EVERYWHERE- I could go on for a bit, but you get the gist. Things have started to get better, which has brought me to write this today. They fixed the drainage pipe and we had to knock down the nests to those scary beasts ourselves, but the A/C is still broken and we're still miserably hot, but at least we seem to be staying afloat. Now that I've got all that out of the way, I can ask you what I've been meaning to ask-_

 **Do you even want me to continue and finish this story?**

I wanted to know how you all felt. Are you still interested? Did you want to learn more about the characters? Or should I advance the plot? Should I even bother with this and put it on indefinite hiatus?

I ask because I did manage to scribble down some more of this story, but I've branched off and made more stories aside from this one that I'd like to upload, but I'd feel bad about uploading more stories while this one wasn't exactly finished here. Do let me know how you all are feeling.

And because I would have liked to see this myself, I'll put this here:

 **You all are loved, okay? I love each and every one of you, even the ones who lurk and don't say much or don't take any action on . I love you all. You're all awesome. What ever you do, what ever you're doing, don't give up. It gets better. It will. You'll have to suffer through the storm, but I promise the rainbow will be ever so worth it.**

That being said, I hope you all are having a good time right now. And to those who aren't, maybe we can chat about it sometime.

Do review and tell me how you feel about the story's completion, though.

Milly Out.


	17. Ch15- The Final Push

Okay, so I'm going to write this chapter today, whether I feel like it or not, this is getting done! So hopefully this won't suck too much... ;; Go easy on me, everyone. I gotta get back into the swing of writing. But my excuses isn't what you came to read, so let's get this show on the road! 

* * *

A while had passed and by now, Cecil had pushed DJ Octavio further back to what seemed like his last stand as Agents 1 and 2 somehow overrode his audio system. Cecil, armor-less and now considerably covered in ink, stared with full on hatred reflected from behind his broken glasses to Octavio, who looked none the better with gritted teeth as he dodged another onslaught of missiles and octo-balls. **"YOU SLIMY LITTLE PUNK! Stay still so I can record scratch you outta existence!"**

"Tch. Not even in your dreams, asshole! Now shut up and fight like a man!"

 **"You're not even a man! But if that's whatcha want-"** He sunk into his machine, a familiar giant glowing ball surfacing. It was ejected and hurled at Cecil with full force, traveling rather quickly to the very thin platform. **" - Then let it be your finale!"** Luckily for Cecil, this wasn't the first time this idiot had fired one of those, and he knew exactly what to do. With a quick duck and roll to the opposite side, he dodge yet another assault of missiles and fired the ball back with no problem. It sailed to Octavio, and was vaulted back to him again. Another barrage. Dodge. Hit. It was all getting repetitive now to the point where Cecil had nary a trouble with reading Octavio's moves. The ball careened towards him again along with more octarian-filled balls, which prompted him to dodge the balls and fire at the Bass-Ball. An Octarian spawned and begun to fire at him, much to his agitation. Just as he took it out, the ball had gotten close- too close. He swore before throwing a bomb into the air and firing at it, making enough to ink to send the ball back at Octavio. He indeed felt accomplished as he watched the ball sail towards him and awaited another return serve but something was...off. He wasn't looking at the ball. Then what was he-

A faint shine shone off what was left of the glass in his glasses at the last second before he fired an Octo-Lazer at the young agent too quick for him to realize it.

 _Another expletive._

There was no where to run.

 _Another curse word._

He was stuck in enemy ink.

 _Another swear._

A single second went by before everything went black.

* * *

He opened his eyes- nothing but galaxy like space and purple clouds around him. Was this what heaven looked like? Maybe space. Well, this was it. He was dead. At least he took out that stupid jerk before he was gone. At least he'd be remembered. Right? Ah, they'd probably forget him. It's not like anyone knows who agents 1 and 2 are, why should anyone know about-

"Cecil!"

He looked up, past the broken lens of his glasses to see Bic, one teary eye focused on him, the other closed as she winced and struggled to hold onto his tattered shirt. He gave a deep sigh of relief as he swore to marry this woman while she pulled him up slowly, praying to Cod his shirt didn't rip before she could get her arms around him. He was pulled up, seeing nothing but deep purple ink on the platform and Bic, pulling him into a somewhat tight hug that he didn't dare fight. He squeezed his eyes shut, weakly giving into her embrace while shedding tears of his own. Finally, it was over. He sobbed into her shoulder out of pure happiness before she pulled away, staring into his eyes. "Ahaha! You crybaby...You did it, Cecil!"  
"Thank Cod...I thought I was sushi for a sec there..."

 **"You still are."**

They both froze, turning to see Octavio, out of his ship and walking towards the two as they shifted back, towards the edge. Cecil was in no condition to go on and what's worse was that his gun was blown off the edge by the explosion of Octavio's machine. They both frowned upon hearing his laughter and the clapping of two of his tentacles.

 **"I gotta admit, kid...you're somethin' else. No wonder that old bag o' bones hired ya."  
** " _Hey! I heard that, ye salty cephalopod!"_ Was heard in the distance. It was shrugged off as he continued to speak, getting closer.  
 **"And you,"** He motioned to Bic with the Wasabi plant he had in one of his tentacles, **"Who the hell do ya think you are, frolicin' around with an INKLING. And to think you came from me...That's an insult within itself. Ya know how much trouble ya caused me? Now I gotta rebuild my mecha and regather my troops and...Geh. Doesn't matter. I'll send the two 'a ya to Davy Jones' locker like a bad mashup! DAHAHAHA!"**

Cecil's foot slipped off the edge before he scooted forward. This was bad. No weapons. No space. Octavio unsheathed a katana from the wasabi stalk, pointing it towards the two. Cecil spat; This was REAL bad. Where the hell were agents 1 and 2?! Octavio lifted the katana and lunged toward them. Bic frowned and held her hands out before them and caught the blade, catching both Cecil and Octavio off guard while she steadily held the blade in her bleeding palms.

"You know what- I'm gettin' _real_ sick of being told of how much of a disappointment I am to everyone. You kept me hidden away for years...Kept me away from my mom. Made me believe there was nothing better for me- for the Octarian race out there! You _lied_...You lied to all of us. Kept us **LITERALLY** in the dark! And what's more, you never even told me you were my father until I'd come to hate every single piece of you." Bic seethed, picking up both the blade and Octavio with an unreal strength. He gulped as she turned, towards the abyss. "If you won't tell everyone the truth...If you want to continue a dead war...You do it in _hell_!" She screamed, throwing both her father and the blade off the edge and into the space below them, severely slicing her hands in the process.

"Well...that's one way to do it..."Cecil whispered as he looked down and watched him plummet into the darkness with a scream unparalleled to one of a dead man before looking back to Bic. He swallowed, realizing now that she looked a little more worse for wear as she huffed and fell backwards onto her backside, out of breath and out of energy. He crawled up to her, taking a place right beside her and threw a hand over her abdomen as they seemed to just take in everything that just happened and breathe. After a little amount of silence, they were jolted awake by small voice was heard in Cecil's headset, which was miraculously still intact.

 _"Kzzzt- Ye did it, Lads! Kzt- Yippee! Bzzzzt."_

They whipped their heads up to see Cap'n waving at them next two other figures in the distance. They both assumed it was Agents 1 and 2 as they gave a tired wave back and smiled. Both Cecil and Bic rested their heads on the surface beneath them as the adrenaline finally began to settle and the feeling of pain came to them. Bic was the first to give a small laugh, which made Cecil turn his head slowly to her. She looked at him and motioned with a nod in front of them. "You know we have to walk back...right?"

"...Damn it."

* * *

(A/N time!)

Hopefully this wasn't too bad of a chapter for you all. As I said before, I'm not too good at fight scenes and I tried not to follow the whole cliche of how heroes defeat a villain but it seemed to happen that way anyway. There's still another chapter left for you guys after this one, so stay tuned!

I love you all and thank you for sticking with me.

- _Milly_


	18. Ch16- The start of something new

Holy double updates, batman!

* * *

Back at the (still destroyed) base, everyone sat on the grass and stared into the sunset before them. Everyone was a little uneasy and rattled to speak, and no one wanted to be the first to do so. That is, until Agent 2 spoke up, her voice muffled from behind her facial mask. "Alright, I guess I'll say it. Old man, where are you gonna crash while we get your place fixed up?" Agent 1 gasped, holding her hands over her mouth.

"How could you ask that?! Of course he'll stay with us!"  
"I don't see how that's possible."  
"I mean, sure we're going on tour soon, but he could still stay in the hotel until-"

As they went back and forth, Cecil and Bic giggled amongst themselves until Bic came to a realization. "W-wait...If this place is destroyed then...I guess I'll have to go back to Octo valley..." At that, everyone suddenly got quiet as they shot each other saddened looks between each other.  
"No you won't." Cecil said, breaking the tension once again. "Bic, I wanted to ask you this before that whole ordeal happened but...Do...you wanna come live with me in Inkopolis?" He blurted out, pushing his still-broken glasses up on his nose.

Everyone went silent again.

Upon Bic's face was a look of several emotions. Confusion. Happiness. Sadness. Excitement. The roller coaster of emotions never ended. Agents 1 and 2 whispered to themselves while Cap'n finally stopped eating his crabby cakes and spoke up.

"Aye, Laddie. That be a good idea AND a bad one. Sure, Octavio is all locked up-" He pointed towards the giant snow globe sitting next to the pile of rubble that used to be his home that housed the fuming Octo, "But at the same time, Inkopolis is still not too keen on Octarians livin' in the city."

"That's where we come in, gramps." Agent 2 chimed in. They both stood and removed their garb with a swift motion and posed dramatically as Callie and Marie, the super-famous pop idols. Cecil scoffed while Bic seemed to be simply enchanted and entranced with the two.  
"Ta-daah!" Callie spoke, blowing a kiss to no one in particular.  
"You guys do remember we already knew who you were...right?" Cecil deadpanned.  
"You did, but Bic sure didn't~! At least about the secret identities, right?" Callie happily said, sitting back down. "Anywho, like Marie said, we'll making an announcement about what happened, and that should help with everyone incorporating Octos into inkling society!"  
"W-Wow! You'd really do that? Thank you, you guys! That would really help a lot! I still can't believe I'm actually knowing you two for reals! Oh my gosh, Now that things have blown over, I can finally tell you, I'm such a big fan, I used to secretly listen to your music all the time and..." Bic rambled as she fangirled in the middle of the two blushing ladies.

"Lass." Cap'n huffed, catching her attention.

"Yes, Cap'n?"

"Be warned. Livin' in Inkopolis is gonna be way different than what ye be used to. Careful not to get culture shocked. People are also gonna harshly judge ye, poke mean fun at ye, cast ye aside...It's not gonna be a walk in the park. Are ye sure yer up fer this?"

Bic nodded, a fierce look of **determination** in her eyes. "Cap'n, I've never been more sure in my life! Besides...Cecil has my back, so I'll be just fine." She said, turning to give a wink to the blushing teen. The old veteran simply nodded, pulling something out of his jacket.  
"That be fine, Lass. Here. Have this." He said, handing it to her. She inspected it, unfolding the pile handed to her to reveal a hero suit, just her size. Her eyes widened as a few tears threatened to leave them.

"B-but how?"  
"Agent 6 and I decided that if ye were gonna be on our team, ye needed to look the part. If anyone in Inkopolis ever questions ye. Simply don that outfit. You'll do just fine, lass." He said with a confident nod. Bic squeezed the living life out of him with a thankful hug as the rest smiled and giggled while the sun set even further. Everyone stood, ready to part ways.

"You know we'll be in touch." Marie stated. Everyone nodded. "Good."  
"We all need to do lunch!" Callie said happily.  
"Is that all you think about?"  
"What? We all skipped breakfast!"  
"...True. Anywho. You know how to find us, Cecil. Later."

Cecil nodded as he took Bic's hand and led her toward the sewer grate before them. She swallowed out of nervousness as they stood over it. Cecil gave her hand a gentle squeeze and flashed a smile at her.

"Nervous?"  
"Wouldn't you be?"  
"You got me there. Don't worry. You'll be fine with me."  
"I don't know, aren't I normally the one bailing you out of trouble?"

That one warranted a playful punch in the arm as they laughed their way into the grate.

From behind, they all waved them off.  
"Yessir, they be just fine." Cap'n repeated.

 **"Of course, she's my daughter after all."**

"Quiet, you." Marie said, throwing a sheet over Octavio's glass prison. They all gave one last laugh before wheeling Octavio away as they left the scene behind, sun finally disappearing beyond the horizon.

* * *

(A/N Time!)

Welp. That's it. You all waited months. For that. Man, when I say it like that, I feel horrible. Feel free to throw sticks and stones at me. I deserve it. But in any case! That concludes Different Strokes! Admittedly, this story took a way different turn than I thought it would, but if you all liked it, then I guess I'll learn to accept it. Funny enough, this is the very first story that's had more than one chapter that I've completed. That's a small achievement for me. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed this small tale, and look forward to the sequel, White Out. Hopefully White out won't take me an eon just to finish, right? Ahaha..ha.. ;

Thank you all for pushing me to finish this story. I hope you all are having a nice day, or maybe this helped your day get a little better. You're all loved. And I'll see you. In my next story. Aloha!


End file.
